Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan (55, born on 25 January 1961), the current Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore, was appointed for the position on 1 October 2015 (“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs”).
Dr. Balakrishnan is responsible for developing and supporting Singapore’s diplomatic relations with countries from all over the world, and he also performs as the Minister of the Smart Nation Program.
Dr. Balakrishnan received a degree in Medicine at the National University of Singapore, chose Ophthalmology as his specialization, and worked as the Medical Director of the Singapore National Eye Centre (“Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan”).
Dr. Balakrishnan joined the Singapore Parliament in 2001, and later he was appointed as the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources. His other appointments also included the Second Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, the Minister for Community Development, Youth, and Sports, and the Minister of State for National Development.
Dr. Balakrishnan’s achievements while holding these positions include establishing the Centre for Climate Research Singapore and implementation plans for social workers and people with disabilities among others.
As the Minister for Foreign Affair, Dr. Balakrishnan initiated introductory visits to Brunei, India, and Malaysia (October 2015), the Kingdom of Spain (November 2015), and Indonesia (January 2016) (“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Press Room”). In Indonesia, Dr. Balakrishnan discussed the issues of partnership and cooperation in the field of supporting entrepreneurs and talents in both countries (“Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan to Visit Indonesia”).
Dr. Balakrishnan participated in the 21st Conference on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris on 7-10 December 2015 to negotiate the agreement on actions to address the global climate change (“Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and Mr Masagos Zulkifli”). During the Conference, Dr. Balakrishnan also discussed the perspectives of the diplomatic relations with the U.S. Secretary Kerry.
Dr. Balakrishnan participated in the FutureEverything Signals of Tomorrow Conference as the Minister-in-Charge of the Smart Nation Program (“Opening Speech by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan”).
The power and position of the Minister are based on his experience in addressing environmental and climate issues, use of resources, and integration of information and communication technology into national and global projects.
About Singapore’s foreign activities, the Minister is focused on developing global peaceful and secure relations, accentuating sovereignty, and promoting opportunities for Singaporeans.
Works Cited
Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan. 2015. Web.
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan to Visit Indonesia. 2016. Web.
Minister Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan and Mr. Masagos Zulkifli to attend the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, France. 2015. Web.
Opening Speech by Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister-In-Charge of the Smart Nation Initiative at the FutureEverything Signals of Tomorrow Conference. 2015. Web.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2016. Web.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Press Room. 2016. Web.