In case you wonder where our globe-trotting Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is, he is on an official visit to Australia from Oct. 11 to 13 at the invitation of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

PM Lee’s visit marks the inaugural annual summit between the two PMs under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) between Singapore and Australia.

What is the CSP?

The CSP means Singapore will have even closer cooperation with Australia on defence (letting SAF troops train in a bigger area in Australia); economy (upgraded Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement); innovation and science; and law and order issues (combat transnational drug crime).

Singapore and Australia:"Best mates"

As Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told The Straits Times, "the fact that our leaders have committed to meet annually underscores the importance that we both place on the relationship."

The importance cannot be emphasized enough -- the only annual meetings Singapore have are with two of our closest neighbours Malaysia (Singapore-Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat) and Indonesia.

More significantly, PM Lee is invited to address all the Aussie MPs in parliament tomorrow morning.

Here are a few reasons why PM Lee's speech in the Australian parliament is a pretty significant thing:

1. PM Lee is the first foreign leader to be invited by Turnbull to speak in parliament

Turnbull recently received a renewed mandate for his Liberal–National Coalition government in the General Election this year. PM Lee is the first guest to speak in parliament during Turnbull's premiership.

PM Lee is also the first foreign leader to address the parliament since 2014.

Not bad at all.

2. It's the first such address in parliament by a Singapore PM.

Yup, even the late PM Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) didn't get invited by former Australian PMs to address the Australian parliament.

Maybe it has to do with this remark LKY made during a visit to Australia in the 1980s, where he urged Australia to open up its economy or risk becoming the "poor white trash of Asia".

3. The previous leaders asked to address the Australian parliament are pretty prominent world leaders

They include the past four Presidents of the United States (Barack Obama, George W Bush, Bill Clinton, George Bush), and two Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom (David Cameron, Tony Blair).

Quite a number of them are known for their oratory skills, so no pressure, PM Lee.

Top photo from Lee Hsien Loong Facebook

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