SINGAPORE — Britain's Princess Anne met President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the Istana on Nov 12 and discussed issues relating to sustainability, biodiversity, education and skills development during their meeting.
They also reaffirmed the longstanding and multifaceted ties between Singapore and Britain, including strong people-to-people ties, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Nov 13.
Princess Anne was in Singapore on a two-day trip from Nov 12 to 13, during which she also met Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
PM Wong and the Princess Royal, as she is also known, marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Singapore and UK, MFA said.
They also reaffirmed Singapore and Britain's strong co-operation across different sectors and exchanged views on how greater collaboration can be achieved in emerging areas such as trade, artificial intelligence and cyber security.
In a Facebook post on Nov 13, PM Wong said: "The Princess Royal's visit reflects the deep and enduring friendship between our peoples.
"Singapore and the UK share a rich history and a strong foundation of trust. I look forward to expanding our co-operation and keeping our partnership vibrant in the years ahead."
Princess Anne is the younger sister of King Charles III and the second child and only daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
She is reported to have visited Singapore at least twice previously. The first was in 1972, when she was 22 and accompanying her parents on a state visit to Singapore — the second stop in a South-east Asia tour.
More recently, she last visited in 2016, for the 27th Commonwealth Agriculture Conference, when she laid a wreath for the war dead at the Kranji War Cemetery. She also met members of the Singapore Armed Forces Veterans' League.
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