Shanmugam to meet Ukraine President and Pope Francis

SINGAPORE - Minister for Foreign Affairs K Shanmugam will visit Ukraine, Italy and the Vatican City from May 6 to 13, 2015.

During the visit to Kyiv, Ukraine from May 6 to 7, Mr Shanmugam will call on President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Tuesday. Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin will then meet and host him to a meal.

Following the Ukraine visit, Mr Shanmugam will visit Florence, Italy, on May 8 to participate in the State of the Union Conference organised by the European University Institute. Minister Shanmugam has been invited to address the conference on the topic, "Europe and Asia".

The Foreign Affairs Minister will then have an audience with Pope Francis when he visits the Vatican City from May 11 to 13.

Mr Shanmugam will also meet Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Paolo Gentiloni in Rome.

grongloh@sph.com.sg