Your Excellency Jean-Marc Ayrault,
Prime Minister of France

Mrs Brigitte Ayrault

Excellencies,

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen

1. It gives me great pleasure to welcome Prime Minister Ayrault and your distinguished delegation to Singapore. We are honoured that you have chosen Singapore for your first official visit, a sign of the excellent ties between our two countries.

2. Relations between Singapore and France go further back than most people realise. It is widely known that modern Singapore was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. But few people know that two French naturalists accompanied Raffles when he landed here. They identified many new species, and contributed significantly to the study of Singapore’s flora and fauna in those early years.

3. Since then, our friendship has blossomed. Singapore is proud to host one of the largest French communities in Southeast Asia. The community here has integrated well into our society, and adds vibrancy and colour to our cosmopolitan city. My own Parliamentary constituency, Ang Mo Kio, is host to the Lycée Français de Singapour or the French School. There is a “Little France” around the Lycée, where many French families live happily alongside Singaporeans.

4. Similarly, many Singaporeans visit or live in France. Like people from the world over, we are drawn to France’s romance, style and culture. French has long been a popular third language taught in our schools, and I am sure the students relish the chance to spend a summer in France for their immersion programme. Singaporean students in France often study in the Grandes Écoles, doing a wide range of subjects from engineering and architecture to fashion, and modern art.

5. I am therefore glad that our two countries are collaborating more closely in arts and culture. The Alliance Française helps to bring beautiful French art forms to Singaporeans. This year, our National Museum worked with the Musée d’Orsay to put on a spectacular exhibition of Salon, Realist, Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings. The show, “Dreams and Reality”, attracted large crowds. Two years ago, the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris hosted an exhibition of Straits-born Chinese (Peranakan) culture – “Baba Bling”. It beautifully showed off our Peranakan heritage, and gave the French public a glimpse into Singapore’s cultural history. I am glad that our agencies are jointly organising a showcase of Singapore’s arts and culture in Paris, which I am confident will be well received.

6. France has also made quiet contributions to other facets of Singapore life. For instance, our Singapore Girl wears a “sarong kebaya” designed by Pierre Balmain, an artistic fusion of French design and Southeast Asian fashion. Our new National Art Gallery is being designed by a French architect – Jean-François Milou. It will be one of the largest museums in the region, and surely one of the most handsome, when it opens in 2015.

7. Another key pillar in our relationship is defence cooperation. Our defence establishments conduct regular policy dialogues, joint military exercises and cooperate closely in defence technology. We are grateful to France for hosting an RSAF training detachment in Cazaux since 1998. Our pilots greatly appreciate the airspace to train and hone their piloting skills. I am reliably informed that they also value the close proximity to the vineyards in Bordeaux.

8. Our cooperation in these diverse fields is the broader backdrop to our strong economic relations. France is Singapore’s second largest trading partner in the European Union, while Singapore is France’s largest export market in Southeast Asia. Many French companies use Singapore as a springboard to reach out to the region or even the world. One example is International SOS, which was established in Singapore in 1985 with 15 employees. They now have 10,000 worldwide. Perhaps one day a Singapore company will emulate International SOS by starting up in France, and expanding all over the world.

9. We should explore new opportunities to work together. I am happy that Your Excellency has brought along a business delegation. The business dialogue tomorrow will be a good opportunity to exchange views with their Singapore counterparts, as well as to identify new areas for cooperation.

10. Singapore is negotiating an FTA with the EU, which we hope to complete soon. We appreciate France’s support for this FTA. It will significantly boost our economic ties, and bring our countries closer together. It will make a significant contribution to the Strategic Partnership which our countries are building together.

11. Prime Minister Ayrault and I have just signed the “Joint Declaration on a Strategic Partnership between Singapore and France”, which brings our 1999 “Joint Declaration on Enhanced Partnership” to a higher level. France is the only other country with which we have a strategic partnership agreement, besides the US. It underscores the breadth and depth of our relationship, and reaffirms our shared values and perspectives on international issues. It also reinforces our desire for closer ties between Asia and Europe. I am confident that the Strategic Partnership will inject fresh impetus to our wide-ranging collaboration, and pave the way for more substantial exchanges in the years to come.

Your Excellency,
Mrs Ayrault,
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

12. May I now invite you all to rise and join me in a toast to:

• The continued good health and success of His Excellency Prime Minister Ayrault and Mrs Ayrault; and

• The enduring and close friendship between the French Republic and the Republic of Singapore.