The President of the Republic of Singapore, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, will pay Belgium a three-day visit this week. It marks the latest move in Belgium's efforts to strengthen bilateral ties, specifically with the east.
A delegation from Singapore will visit Belgium from Monday 24 to Wednesday 26 March. Belgium's Foreign Affairs Ministry noted that since its independence, Singapore has become one of the most developed and prosperous countries in the world, despite a lack of natural resources.
"The constant pursuit of excellence in the fields of economics, governance, education, health, safety and urban planning explains Singapore's rapid progress," the Ministry wrote. For this reason, the country is being invited to visit Belgium.
"In a context of international turbulence and uncertainty that is putting pressure on multilateral institutions, it is important to strengthen bilateral relations and explore closer modes of cooperation with countries from diverse backgrounds," the Ministry noted.
The visit comes some three weeks after one of Belgium’s biggest economic missions took place in India. This saw a 330-member delegation – comprising business leaders, diplomats, and trade officials – engage in high-level meetings across New Delhi and Mumbai. These two visits in the space of one month highlight Belgium's fresh interest in strengthening trade and diplomatic ties with Asia.
Politicians and ports
On Monday 24 March (the first day) President Shanmugaratnam and his wife will be welcomed by Belgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde at the Royal Palace in Brussels' city centre. The party will then visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for a moment of silence, followed by a meeting with representatives of the Chamber and the Senate in the Federal Parliament.
In the afternoon, the Presidential Couple will meet with Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA), followed by a meeting in the town hall with the mayor of Brussels, Philippe Close (PS). "The day ends with the traditional state banquet at the Castle of Laeken."
On Tuesday 25 March, President Shanmugaratnam will visit the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, one of Europe's biggest ports. It is an emblem of the ties between the two countries: Belgium is Singapore's third-largest trading partner in the EU. "This is mainly thanks to the close ties between the ports of Antwerp-Bruges and Singapore," the Ministry said.
Port of Antwerp. Credit: Belga / Jasper Jacobs
The trading company Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) manages three terminals through which 80% of the containers that are loaded or unloaded in the port of Antwerp-Bruges. The logistics hub employs 3,600 people. The visit will see the inauguration of the new facilities of the Europa terminal. The presidential couple will then lunch with the governor of the province of Antwerp, Cathy Berx (CD&V).
In the afternoon, the Belgian royal couple and Singapore's presidential Couple will hold a round-table discussion with Belgian civil society actors working to strengthen inclusion and social cohesion. "As a multi-ethnic, multilingual and multi-religious state, Singapore, like Belgium, attaches crucial importance to harmonious coexistence between communities, equal opportunities and integration," the Ministry said.
Finally, the third day will centre around Belgium's economic activity in Singapore. "The Belgian community there, 1,500 strong, is the second largest in Southeast Asia". Various Belgian companies active in Singapore will present their activities. At the headquarters of the Federation of Belgian Companies, Belgian business leaders will discuss ideas about the economic ties between our two countries.
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The party will then head to Wallonia for lunch with the governor of Walloon Brabant, Gilles Mahieu (PS) followed by a visit to SEFY, a research centre for cultivated crops run by the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL). The centre carries out research in plant resistance – a topic of interest for Singapore, which has committed to producing 30% of the food consumed on the island locally by 2030.
Finally, IBA, a world leader in the field of particle acceleration of which medical solutions are also used in Singapore, will present its facilities and vision.
