(The following is a reformatted press release issued by the Singapore government distributed by e-mail.)

PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE PRESS STATEMENT: VISIT BY PRIME MINISTER LEE HSIEN LOONG TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 6-16 JULY 2005

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will visit the US (New York, Washington DC and Las Vegas) from 6-16 July 2005.

PM will meet President George W Bush, Vice President Richard Cheney, Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Treasury John Snow, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, National Intelligence Director John Negroponte, and leading members of Congress. In addition, PM will deliver a speech at a dinner hosted by the US-ASEAN Business Council and meet with the US business community. PM will also be meeting with the operators of major Integrated Resorts in Las Vegas.

In New York, PM will be accompanied by Minister for Education Tharman Shanmugaratnam. In Washington DC, PM will be accompanied by Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo, Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean and Minister for Education Tharman Shanmugaratnam. In Las Vegas, PM will be accompanied by Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo and Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan.

During the Prime Minister's absence from 6 to 16 July 2005, Dr Tony Tan, Deputy Prime Minister, will be the Acting Prime Minister.

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Last Updated: July 6, 2005 04:21 EDT