Vivian Balakrishnan

The Honourable Vivian Balakrishnan
விவியன் பாலகிருஷ்ணன்
Balakrishnan in 2023
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 October 2015
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong Lawrence Wong
Second Minister	Josephine Teo (2017) Maliki Osman (2020–present)
Preceded by	K. Shanmugam
Acting Minister for Transport
In office 25 February 2019 – 5 April 2019
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Khaw Boon Wan
Succeeded by	Khaw Boon Wan
Minister-in-charge of the Smart Nation Initiative
In office 2014–2021
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Josephine Teo
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources
In office 21 May 2011 – 30 September 2015
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Second Minister	Grace Fu (2012–2015)
Preceded by	Yaacob Ibrahim
Succeeded by	Masagos Zulkifli
Second Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts
In office 30 May 2006 – 31 March 2008
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Minister	Lee Boon Yang (2003–2009)
Second Minister for Trade and Industry
In office 1 April 2005 – 29 May 2006
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Minister	Lim Hng Kiang (2004–2018)
Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports
In office 12 August 2004 – 20 May 2011 Acting: 12 August 2004 – 31 March 2005
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Yaacob Ibrahim
Succeeded by	Chan Chun Sing
Member of Parliament for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC (Cashew)
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 April 2006
Preceded by	Constituency established
Majority	34,991 (32.72%)
Member of Parliament for Holland-Bukit Panjang GRC (Ulu Pandan)
In office 4 November 2001 – 27 April 2006
Preceded by	Lim Boon Heng (PAP)
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Personal details
Born	1961 (age 62–63)[1] State of Singapore
Political party	People's Action Party
Spouse	Joy Balakrishnan
Children	4
Alma mater	National University of Singapore (MBBS)
Occupation	Politician diplomat ophthalmologist

Vivian Balakrishnan (Tamil: விவியன் பாலகிருஷ்ணன், romanized: Viviyaṉ Pālakiruṣṇaṉ; born 1961)^[1] is a Singaporean politician, diplomat and former ophthalmologist who has been serving as Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2015. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Cashew division of Holland–Bukit Timah GRC since 2006, and previously the Ulu Pandan division of Holland–Bukit Panjang GRC between 2001 and 2006.

He previously served as Second Minister for Trade and Industry between 2005 and 2006, Minister for Community, Youth and Sports between 2005 and 2011, Second Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts between 2006 and 2008, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources between 2011 and 2015, and Minister-in-charge of the Smart Nation Initiative between 2014 and 2017.

A President's Scholar, Balakrishnan studied medicine at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore and underwent postgraduate specialist training in ophthalmology before he was admitted as a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. From 1999 to 2002, he served as the commanding officer of the Second Combat Support Hospital of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), while holding the positions of medical director of the Singapore National Eye Centre and chief executive officer of the Singapore General Hospital concurrently.^[2]

Balakrishnan made his political debut in the 2001 general election as part of a five-member PAP team contesting in Holland–Bukit Panjang GRC and won by an uncontested walkover.^[3] He was subsequently appointed as Minister of State for National Development in 2002, and Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry in 2004.^[1]