Visite d'État de la République de Singapour au Luxembourg - Dîner de Gala

Mr. President, dear Madam,

It is a great pleasure for the Grand Duchess and myself to welcome you to Luxembourg.

This State Visit gives us the opportunity to look back on our longstanding friendship and pave the way for a future that brings us even closer together.

It was 50 years ago, on March 17th 1975, that the governments of Singapore and Luxembourg established diplomatic relations. Our aim was to develop strong economic and political ties between our countries.

Today, this relationship has strong foundations. It is built on our common values, our attachment to the rule of law and an integrated global economy.

It is a friendship that comes naturally as we have many things in common. We are surrounded by large and powerful neighbours, our populations are multi-cultural and live in harmony, our countries lack natural resources yet have been able to develop prosperous and stable economies through foresight, pragmatism and efficiency.

Both our countries are fortunate to have had visionary leaders who fully grasped the changing environment, saw opportunities for their nations and had the will, the courage and the competence to build a prosperous future. During one of my many visits to Singapore, I remember with admiration your former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew whose leadership transformed Singapore into a highly developed, prosperous and stable country.

I admire the emphasis and care Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew placed in education and training. This massive investment in human resources has made it possible to build a knowledge-based society.

Both our countries also depend highly on stable and respectful relations with our neighbours. We are fully aware of how essential it is for peace, stability and economic growth.

Despite their small size and limited means, Singapore and Luxembourg carry considerable weight within their respective regions. As one of the five founding members of ASEAN, Singapore is a leading force in deepening regional integration. Luxembourg, one of the six founding members of the European Union, has been a key driver of European integration. Both our countries are gateways into vast regional markets. Yes, we understand, we connect, we federate.

Mr. President, Madam,

Today, unfortunately, the very foundations of our world order that has brought us stability, peace and prosperity since the end of the second world war are in danger. We are all struggling to grasp the full extent of this turmoil. We are desperately trying to find a way to guarantee peace and stability across the world.

As the basic rules of mutual respect and international law are no longer being observed, our open economies that depend on free trade and the rule of law have become very vulnerable. The political stability we have been able to provide our citizens may be at risk. Economic downturn caused by geopolitical upheaval creates uncertainty and fear. Populations become receptive to radical views channelled by fake news and disinformation.

In this context, our friendship with you, a country with whom we share fundamental values, becomes all the more precious.

Indeed, this State visit gives us the opportunity at a decisive time in history to highlight the domains we have in common and bring people together.

Singapore and Luxembourg, as leading financial hubs, are exploring opportunities for collaboration in green finance and fintech. Several Luxembourg companies have chosen Singapore as their regional hub in the area of logistics, space and finance. Singapore companies offering digital solutions have chosen Luxembourg as their European base.

In the space domain, our countries have fostered cutting-edge technologies. Collaboration around quantum computing is becoming a reality with the signing of an MOU between SES and SpeQtral.

Beyond economic collaboration, I am particularly pleased that our respective civil protection agencies are about to sign an MOU to foster the exchange of experience and expertise.

Mr President, dear Madam,

This State Visit is a facilitator of human contacts in many different fields. I am certain that new ideas and projects will emerge. And I call upon our teams to explore the opportunities together so that each one of us shall be contributing to build stronger and deeper ties between our countries, that share the same fundamental values. And these values are essential to preserve peace and stability in the world.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Together with the Grand Duchess, please raise your glasses and join me in a toast to the health of the President of the Republic of Singapore and Madam Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam, to the ongoing cooperation and friendship between our Nations.