Asia-Europe Meeting

I've returned to Singapore from my visit to Hungary for the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Foreign Ministers' Meeting. ASEM, which consists of 48 members, was established in 1996 to promote dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe. Besides developments in Asia and Europe, this year's discussions also touched on topics like dthe world economy, reform of the international financial system, counter-terrorism, food security, and disaster management. During the meeting, I proposed that Singapore host an ASEM seminar on nuclear safety in 2012 that would allow for countries to share their experiences and best practices. I believe that the Fukushima crisis and its impact on the region has emphasised the need for countries to discuss and agree to international standards of nuclear safety.

With the increasing prices of traditional sources of energy like oil, it may be impractical for countries to avoid the use of nuclear energy completely. However, countries can help themselves and reassure their neighbours by implementing internationally-recognised safety measures in their peaceful development of nuclear energy. Singapore will work with its partners in Asia and Europe over the next few months to organise a nuclear safety seminar. I hope that this seminar helps to kickstart a gradual consolidation of a global nuclear safety regime. Although Singapore has no immediate plans to develop nuclear energy, international standards of nuclear safety would hold immense benefits for us, as nuclear accidents could potentially affect non-nuclear states.

The ASEM meeting was a good way to engage Singapore's European partners. I had many encouraging meetings at the sidelines of the conference. Although Europe is still dealing with its debt crisis, it remains a huge economy, and an immensely wealthy and influential region. Because of its earlier development, Europe also has a lot of experience in areas like nuclear safety which it can share with the rest of the world. It is critical that Singapore continues to play a role in these international gatherings. Our connections to the outside world ensure that we learn from best practices and help us to improve ourselves!

Animal Welfare

After conversations with the Cat Welfare Society and Chong Pang residents, I have decided to support a no culling of spayed stray cats policy in the constituency. Cat-lovers in Singapore have been fighting passionately for their feline friends, and I think that Chong Pang constituency can afford to adopt a more humane policy for the treatment of cats. A first step will be to end the culling of stray cats which have been spayed. I realise that for this programme to be a success, we need the support of the residents of Chong Pang and the public. As such, interested Chong Pang residents and the Animals Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) will organise a public forum on animal welfare policies on 18 June, 2.00pm at Chong Pang Community Club Hall, 21 Yishun Ring Road. Refer to the following facebook page for details

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=218896114806574

Channel NewsAsia

Jun 6, 2011

Chong Pang stops cat culling

By Mustafa Shafawi

SINGAPORE: Chong Pang constituency has said it will no longer cull stray cats in the area.

In addition, it will set in motion a humane cat management programme in two weeks' time, making it the first in Singapore to stop the culling of strays.

Local groups Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) and the Cat Welfare Society (CWS) said the programme allows the public to play a more active and vital role, while working with the town council.

It will be launched by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam at a public forum on animal welfare policies on June 18.

The event is organised by Acres in collaboration with Chong Pang grassroots.

The forum will give Singaporeans the opportunity to be engaged in shaping animal welfare policies in Singapore.

This comes in the wake of Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan's blog entry on June 2.

He wrote that the culling of cats in heartland estates is not the way to go.

Last year, about 5,100 stray cats were put down, some 300 less than those in 2009.

The Shangri-La Dialogue

I've spent the last three days meeting foreign leaders who are in Singapore for the 10th International Institute for Security Studies' Asia Security Summit, or the Shangri La Dialogue as it is better known. The SLD is held in Singapore every year and is attended by defence and foreign ministers, military officials, academics and businessmen from countries in the Asia Pacific region. However countries like the UK, France, Germany and India also send delegations to the conference.

Over the last ten years, the SLD has turned out to be a good forum for world leaders to engage one another on security issues. The foreign guests I spoke to told me that this year's conference has also been very useful. The SLD gave me a hectic schedule of meetings, but it was a good opportunity for me to introduce myself to leaders from the US, UK, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Russia and Sweden.

Feel free to go to my facebook page to look at the photos.

My First Official Trip As Foreign Minister

My first official overseas trip as foreign minister, was to attend the 16th Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement in Bali. The weather was wonderful, but there was no time to enjoy the beautiful resort our Indonesian host, hosted us in.

Besides working on the Joint Statement of the NAM Meeting, I was grateful for the opportunity, to meet my counter-parts from neighbouring countries including Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman, Bruneian Foreign Minister Prince Bolkiah and Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya. They were all highly personable and distinguish statesmen. They are our friends.We live in a truly diverse and rich regional environment.

Singapore has a role to play in the region and also on many world issues. There is much that Singapore can contribute, to this process.

If you have any suggestions about what you would like to see in our foreign policy, please leave a comment!