US vice-president Kamala Harris making 3-day visit to S'pore on Aug 22, will speak on vision for the region

SINGAPORE — United States vice-president Kamala Harris will be in Singapore this Sunday (Aug 22) to Tuesday for an official visit and she will be discussing her country’s vision for the region.

This will be Ms Harris’s first visit to Asia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement on Friday. She will be accompanied by senior officials from the US Vice President’s Office, National Security Council and Department of State.

Ms Harris will call on President Halimah Yacob on Monday, which will be followed by a meeting and joint-press conference with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Ms Harris will then visit Changi Naval Base, where she will board the US Littoral Combat Ship USS Tulsa.

Senior US administration officials said that the visit to the base will “underscore the strong security ties between Singapore and the US”.

“Our partnership with Singapore really is the bedrock of our security presence in Southeast Asia, and the vice-president will discuss security and defence issues while there,” the officials said.

On Tuesday morning, Ms Harris will be giving a speech that will discuss the US' “vision for engagement in the region” and how her country will deliver on it.

Thereafter, she will take part in a roundtable with the business community involving Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong.

Ms Harris will then depart for Vietnam.

MFA said that Ms Harris will have a new orchid hybrid named in her honour at a ceremony at the Istana.