Remarks by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the Overseas Singaporean Reception in Stockholm, Sweden, on 18 October 2026

1. A very good afternoon to my fellow Singaporeans, and to everyone who has joined us. Thank you, Ambassador Andrew Kwan and your team for bringing us together this afternoon. I am happy to be here with my wife Jane Ittogi, Minister Masagos Zulkifli and his wife, Jumelah Jaafar, Minister of State Foo Cexiang, and two Members of Parliament, Vikram Nair and Valerie Lee.

2. This is the first State Visit to Sweden by a Singapore President, and it comes as we mark the 60th anniversary of Singapore’s diplomatic relations with Sweden.

3. But beyond the official meetings, State Visits are also opportunities for us to learn about the experiences of Singaporeans living in different parts of the world – what you are doing and contributing here, what you have learnt from living here, and how your experiences can ultimately be of benefit to Singapore too.

Sixty years of friendship

4. Singapore and Sweden are more than 9,500km apart, but we have much in common. We are both small, very open economies which make ourselves useful in the world by being innovative, by being reliable, and by being good partners for countries near and far.

5. Singapore and Sweden have in fact had long-standing partnerships in many areas. And during this visit, we are looking at how we can do more together, such as in emerging technologies. But ultimately, it is the human connections between our people that make our partnership thrive.

Singaporeans in Stockholm as the bridge

6. I understand there are about 500 Singaporeans in Sweden. Some of you are students at universities across the country. Others work in business, technology, research, the arts and many other fields. Some of you have Swedish partners, and are building your lives here. And no doubt, all of you have come to cherish a good fika at some point in the day.

7. Many of you are doing interesting things here. Let me share just a few.

   1. Pearly Teo has made a name for herself as a chef. Unusually, she had no formal culinary training but went on to work at the two-Michelin-starred restaurant, Gastrologik in Stockholm. Then, she started Saga, a dining concept that combines Singaporean flavours with seasonal Swedish produce. In fact, Pearly prepared the rendang, chap chye, and Hainanese chicken we are having this afternoon.

   2. Victoria Moey, who is also here today, is a designer and illustrator based in Sweden. She is best known for her intricate, realistic watercolour illustrations of food, including familiar Singaporean favourites such as kaya toast, kueh, and kopi served in the traditional ceramic cups. Like Pearly, infusing a bit of Singapore culture in Swedish life.

   3. We also have Prisha Ramesh Babu, a third-year student from the National University of Singapore, who is here under the NUS Overseas College programme. Prisha is currently working in a start-up in Stockholm, while having co-founded a health-tech start-up of her own – Synchrome, which develops IoT-based solutions for healthcare, including a sensor device for elderly diapers as its pilot product.

8. There are many more stories from amongst you, and each with interesting journeys of your own. Through each and every one of you, Singapore is building a stronger friendship with Sweden. Wherever your paths take you next, I hope you find ways to bring your experiences and perspectives back to Singapore.

9. Once again, thank you for being here and we look forward to speaking with you during the reception.