US President Donald Trump will meet with Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong at the White House in Washington on October 23, announced the press secretary of the White House in a statement.
The statement said, “President Donald J Trump will welcome Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore to the White House on October 23, 2017. President Trump looks forward to reaffirming the relationship between the United States and Singapore, which has been one of America's closest partners in Asia for more than 50 years.”
It added, “The President and Prime Minister will discuss ways to further strengthen our economic, political, security and people-to-people ties, and work to advance United States engagement and mutual interests throughout the Indo-Pacific region.”
Both the world leaders last met on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit organised in Hamburg, Germany.
The two leaders have held telephonic conversations on at least three occasions since the election of Donald Trump as US President.
PM Lee had called Trump to congratulate him on his win in the Presidential election, and invited the American President and his family to Singapore last year.
After that, there was a telephone call in late April this year during which the leaders affirmed deep and long-standing relations.
Further, PM Lee called Trump to express his concern and sympathies over the loss of life and damage caused by Hurricane Harvey in August this year.
Singapore also played an important role in rescue operations during Hurricane Harvey as the nation deployed Republic of Singapore Air Force’s (RSAF) CH-47 Chinook helicopters from its Peace Prairie detachment in Grand Prairie, Texas.
PM Lee upcoming visit to US is scheduled just ahead of Trump's planned trip to Asia in early November, during which he is expected to make stops in Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.