Embassy in Singapore

From 24 to 26 March, President Tharman and his spouse, Madam Ittogi, were the guests of Their Majesties King Philip and Queen Mathilde. It has been a great honour and privilege in my capacity as Ambassador of His Majesty the King of the Belgians to Singapore, to prepare the programme of the State Visit with my Singaporean and Belgian colleagues, and to participate in all its activities.

A State Visit is a historic event, as there will be only one State Visit of Singapore to Belgium during the reign of HM King Philip.  Only two State Visits to Belgium  are organised per year—generally one from Europe and another from outside Europe. During these three days, the generous hospitality of our Royals, and a protocol shaped by almost two hundred years of tradition, gave a special glow to the programme. I shall never forget the moving ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the grand, majestic escort of horses leading the presidential couple to the Royal Palace. A meeting between leading Belgian entrepreneurs and Singaporean decision-makers reached its objective to let our champions of innovation amaze and shine, while they are far too modest, in my opinion.

There were messages of hope in the high-level conversations I had the privilege to witness. Optimism in our cooperation in renewables, green logistics, waste management, and healthcare We should be proud of our achievements such as the Digital Trade Agreement between the EU and Singapore or the signing of the MoU between Singapore and Belgium on decarbonisation of shipping and the resilience of supply chains.

We also agree that as rather small, peace-loving countries, Belgium and Singapore have to take up the task of upholding a rules-based order and promoting an effective multilateral system. We are both bridge-builders, deeply committed to multilateralism and sharing a human-centric vision of progress. This memorable State Visit  reminded me that Belgium and Singapore can count on each other as resourceful partners and  trusted friends. So let us respond to the global turbulence by joining forces to develop our bilateral partnership. Together we can be the catalyst of a multilateral cooperation promoting inclusiveness and a rules-based order, respectful of international law. Majulah, Belgium and Singapore!

Colette TAQUET
Ambassador of Belgium to Singapore