Singapore PM Lee meets Fed's Yellen, trade representative Froman ahead of nuclear summit

PrimeMinisterLeeHsienLoongmetseparatelywithUSFederalReserveChairJanetYellenandTradeRepresentativeMichaelFromaninWashington,DConThursday,aheadoftheNuclearSecuritySummit.

AccordingtothePrimeMinister'sOffice,theleadersexchangedviewsontheglobaleconomyandprospectsoftheTrans-PacificPartnership(TPP)freetradeagreement.

BothDrYellenandMrFromanoverseeaspectsofUSpolicythathaveanimpactonSingaporeandAsia.

UnderDrYellen'swatch,theUScentralbankraisedinterestratesinDecember,thefirsttimeithasdonesosince2006.

Meanwhile,asheadofUStrade,MrFromanwillplayacriticalroleingettingtheTPPpassed.

TwelvePacificRimnations-includingSingapore-concludednegotiationsontheTPPlastyearanditsfatenowdependsontheabilityoftherespectivegovernmentstogettheagreementratifiedbydomesticlegislatures.

PMLeeisonaweek-longworkingvisittotheUS.

HevisitedNewYorkearlierthisweekandisnowinWashingtontoattendthe4thNuclearSecuritySummit.

InNewYork,PMLeemetformermayorMichaelBloombergtodiscuss,amongotherthings,theupcomingUSpresidentialelectionandprospectsfortheTPP.

(THESTRAITSTIMES)