PM Wong meets leaders from Egypt and Vietnam

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong met leaders from Egypt and Vietnam on the final day of the Group of 20 (G-20) summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

- Linette Lai

In social media posts, he spoke of the close links and strong ties Singapore has with the two countries.

Egypt and Singapore share an interest in promoting inter-faith harmony, PM Wong said of his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

He also noted that many of Singapore's asatizah (religious teachers) are graduates of Egypt's Al Azhar University, adding: "We also appreciate Al-Alzhar's support as we develop our Singapore College of Islamic Studies."

The new college is slated to open in 2028 with an initial intake of up to 60 students, and aims to teach religious knowledge through the perspective of Singapore's multiracial, multi-religious society. Lead-ers from Al-Azhar and other established institutions will be on its advisory panel.