JOHANNESBURG: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will make a five-day trip to Africa from Friday (Nov 21), visiting Johannesburg in South Africa and then the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.
Mr Wong, who is also finance minister, will attend the G20 Summit in Johannesburg from Nov 21 to Nov 23, at the invitation of South African president Cyril Ramaphosa, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said on Friday. South Africa holds this year’s G20 presidency.
While Singapore is not a member of the bloc, it has been invited to the summit almost every year since 2010.
Ethiopia then beckons for Mr Wong, as he makes an official visit to its capital Addis Ababa from Nov 23 to Nov 25, at the invitation of his Ethiopian counterpart Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali.
Mr Wong had first spoken about his Africa trip during his party’s convention earlier this month, where he said that Singapore is still a small country with no natural resources, and has to redouble its efforts and work hard to stay relevant in this changed world. This includes expanding its diplomatic reach in regions like Africa and Latin America, he said.
At the G20 Summit, Mr Wong will participate in discussions aimed at promoting growth, and fostering a fair and just future amid the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and the changing nature of work.
