Official business: PM Wong is in Doha, President Tharman in Stockholm, Ong Ye Kung in Manila, & House Speaker Seah Kian Peng is in Strasbourg

SINGAPORE: As it turns out, a number of Singapore’s top officials are out of the city-state on official business at the same time.

On Sunday (Oct 18), Prime Minister Lawrence Wong landed in Doha for his first state visit to Qatar, having been invited by the Emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani. The two are to head the ninth Qatar-Singapore High-Level Joint Committee, which advances cooperation between the two countries.

In a social media post on Oct 19, Mr Wong noted that his visit comes at a time of substantial uncertainty across the globe, adding that he and Qatar’s leadership exchanged views on developments in the Middle East.

“We hope all parties will continue to pursue diplomacy and work towards lasting peace and stability,” he wrote.

After leaving Doha on Tuesday, Mr Wong will be visiting the United Arab Emirates from Oct 20 to 22.

While the Prime Minister is away, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong will be Acting Prime Minister.

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, meanwhile, is in Stockholm, Sweden, at the invitation of King Carl XVI Gustaf, from Oct 17 to 21. Among the various activities during his visit, the President, a noted economist, will be delivering a lecture at the Stockholm School of Economics.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung is in the Philippines for the 77th World Health Organization Regional Committee Meeting for the Western Pacific until Oct 20. He posted a photo of the sunset over Manila Bay after arriving on Sunday afternoon.

Additionally, the Speaker of the Parliament, Seah Kian Peng, led a delegation of MPs including Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh that left Singapore on Oct 18 on a visit to France and Italy through Oct 23. In Strasbourg, France, they will meet with the President of the

European Parliament and other officials of the European Union, before going on to Rome and the Vatican City.

Several other officials have accompanied the Prime Minister and the President on their current trips. Ministers Vivian Balakrishnan and Tan See Leng are with Mr Wong, along with Minister of State Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim; while Minister Masagos Zulkifli and Minister of State Foo Cexiang accompanied President Tharman to Sweden. /TISG

Read also: Singaporeans urge PM Wong to do more after he announces probe into companies behind haze