Visit By Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister For Education And Second Minister For Finance, To Vietnam And The 13th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, (Apec) Finance Ministers' Meeting, 6-8 September 2006

1. Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Finance, will be visiting Vietnam from 6-8 September 2006.

2. Mr Shanmugaratnam will be attending the 13th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Finance Ministers' Meeting from 7-8 September 2006 in Hanoi, Vietnam. The Meeting is aimed at promoting economic and financial cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. This year's meeting agenda will focus on ways to facilitate capital flows to developing economies in the region, and ways to address common challenges of achieving more stable and efficient revenue sources among governments in the region.

3. Under the education component of his trip, Mr Shanmugaratnam will meet his recently appointed counterpart, Vietnam Minister of Education and Training Professor Nguyen Thien Nhan. Mr Shanmugaratnam will also visit the Vietnam National University School for Gifted Pupils in Hanoi, and the SEAMEO Regional Training Centre in Ho Chi Minh City.

4. Mr Shanmugaratnam will be accompanied by officials from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

JOINTLY ISSUED BY: MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND MINISTRY OF FINANCE