Singapore's president to visit Portugal, Switzerland

Singapore's President Tony Tan Keng Yam is scheduled to make his first state visit to Portugal and an official visit to Switzerland from Sunday to next Saturday, the city state's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Saturday. During his stay in Portugal from Sunday to Tuesday, Tan will meet President Cavaco Silva, Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho and President of the Assembly of the Republic Maria da Assuncao Esteves. Local paper Lianhe Zaobao reported the visit to Portugal is aim at enhancing bilateral ties, as well as seeking for Portugal's support towards European Union (EU) - Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA), EU-Singapore Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (ESPCA) and EU-ASEAN Comprehensive Air Traffic Agreement (EU-ASEAN CATA). Tan will start his official five-day visit to Switzerland from Tuesday. In Switzerland, he is scheduled to meet Swiss President and Federal Councillor for Foreign Affairs Didier Burkhalter. Tan will also deliver a speech to the St Gallen Symposium Circle of Benefactors and attend a seminar organized by Institute of Policy Studies and Avenir Suisse during his stay in Switzerland. He will also visit Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Ecole Polytechique Federale de Lausanne and the Nestle Research Centre and the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. Tan will be accompanied by several ministers in Singapore's government as well as some members of parliament.