Speech by President S R Nathan at the State Banquet held in honour of His Excellency Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, President of the Republic of India

Your Excellency, Dr Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam,
President of the Republic of India
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

1 It is with great pleasure that I extend my warmest welcome to Your Excellency on your first State Visit to Singapore.  I recall the gracious hospitality accorded to my wife and I when we made a State Visit to India in 2003.  We cherish many fond memories of our visit and are very delighted to now host Your Excellency in Singapore.

Excellency

2 Your widely acclaimed book, "India 2020" has provided a vision of what India must do to become a developed nation by 2020, or even earlier. The book was aptly dedicated to a young girl whom you met. You had asked "what's your dream?" And the young girl replied "I want to live in a developed India". You clearly intended your book to be a call to action: for Indians to pursue and accomplish a collective mission, to bring India to the next stage of its development.

3 Your powerful vision for India has given great inspiration to your people. You have articulated the inner voice of a billion Indian citizens and pointed to them the way ahead. You have awakened their minds and stirred the faith that your young have in your great country. Admittedly, India’s transformation into a developed nation cannot be expected to happen overnight. Nonetheless, I am hopeful that it will happen before long. It is now for all Indians to respond to your call and work together to attain that goal.

4 Southeast Asia’s historical links with India are well known. India's age-old civilisation has influenced and enriched our societies in religion and culture.  These historical and cultural footprints are visible in Singapore and the rest of Southeast Asia even to this day. Like India, Singapore is a multi-cultural and secular society.  We hold similar values and aspirations.

Excellency

5 We are at the beginnings of a new century. New opportunities are awaiting countries that are prepared to seize them. A rapidly rising India can contribute in many ways to growth and stability in Asia.  This is why Singapore sought deeper engagement between ASEAN and India, and supported India's inclusion in the recent East Asia Summit.  It is also why we have backed India's bid for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council. This is not out of sentiment, but because of India’s growing international influence and contributions to the region's progress, security and stability. We are firm in our views that India is a natural candidate.

6 I am heartened by the excellent state of Singapore's relations with India today. Economically, our ties are sound and are growing from strength to strength.  The signing of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement or CECA, was a significant milestone in our bilateral relations. India is one of Singapore's major trading partners. Our bilateral trade has more than doubled in the past three years. Based on figures from the first nine months of 2005, Singapore is the third largest investor in India.  Singapore's attractiveness as a destination for Indian exports and investments is also growing. Over 1,600 Indian companies have set up offices in Singapore, and there is a large expatriate Indian community in Singapore.  Although it has been just seven months since the CECA was signed, I am confident that the increased flow of goods, services, investments and talent will bring more opportunities and prosperity to the peoples of both countries.

7 Our relations with India are broad-based and robust, and underscore the similar outlook we share on a range of issues.  We are natural strategic partners and have developed strong defence ties.  We also share a commitment to enhance co-operation in several areas as well as fight global terrorism. Over the years, our leaders have built good rapport with one another through regular visits and dialogue.

8 In addition to exchanges at the government-to-government level, we recognise the importance of nurturing ties between our peoples.  To this end, we have seeded several new initiatives to strengthen people-to-people interactions so that friendship, understanding and respect among them will take deep root.  One of these initiatives is the India-Singapore Parliamentary Forum, which was launched during Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's visit to India last year. The Forum was set up to enable our Parliamentarians to engage one another regularly and strengthen linkages between our Parliaments. Another initiative is the Singapore-India Partnership Foundation, which was officially launched last month by Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong. The Foundation aims to promote stronger linkages through the award of fellowships and scholarships to outstanding individuals of both countries.

9 Singapore is also a growing tourist destination for Indians. More than half a million Indians visited Singapore in 2005. This makes India one of the top five markets for generating visitors to Singapore. Likewise, many Singaporeans visit India for holidays. Opportunities for the expansion of Bilateral Tourism are there for both countries to develop. About 7 percent of Singapore's population are of Indian origin and a significant proportion are second-generation Indians who may still have relatives in India.

10 Singaporeans are showing greater interest in India's history and heritage. Many are regular visitors to the Asian Civilisations Museum, with its two South Asian galleries, that feature the rich and diverse cultures of India.  On display are a number of sculptures from the 11th to 13th centuries on long-term loan from India, including a group of three granite sculptures of Vishnu and his consorts.  Besides that various exhibitions by renowned Indian artists have been held in Singapore, the latest being celebrated Indian artist S. Nandagopal who will be exhibiting his bronze sculptures at the Singapore Art Museum.  In 2004, well-known Singapore sculptor Han Sai Por was selected as one of the Award winners at the XI Triennale-India for her outstanding sculpture series entitled "Bud, Leaf and Seed". Such cultural exchanges are forming the basis for deeper understanding between our peoples. It certainly augurs well for the future relations between our two countries.

Excellency

11 I would also like to take this opportunity to assure you that we will seriously look into the two interesting ideas you raised with me at our meeting this morning. The first was on the proposal to create a World Knowledge Platform linking India, Singapore, and other countries. The second was on ASEAN e-Business and the role India and Singapore could play in promoting more business activities and greater economic growth through inter-connectivity between countries.

Ladies and Gentlemen

12 May I now invite you to rise and join me in a toast to the health and well-being of His Excellency President Abdul Kalam; to the peace, progress and prosperity of the people of India; and to the enduring friendship between India and Singapore.