Toast Speech By President S R Nathan At The State Banquet Held In Honour Of His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni Of The Kingdom Of Cambodia At The Istana On 29 March 2006

Your Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni,
Your Royal Highness Princess Arunrasmy,
Your Royal Highness Prince Norodom Sirivudh,
Honourable Ministers,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen

It is with much pleasure that I extend my warmest welcome to Your Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni and distinguished members of Your Majesty's delegation to Singapore. I recall the gracious hospitality accorded to my wife and I during my State Visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia in February 2003 at the invitation of Their Majesties King-Father Norodom Sihanouk and Queen-Mother Norodom Monineath. It was a memorable visit for us and we were especially touched by the warmth and generosity of the Cambodian people. Today, I am delighted to have the opportunity to reciprocate by hosting Your Majesty in Singapore.

Cambodia is an old friend of Singapore. It was His Majesty King-Father Norodom Sihanouk who laid the strong foundation, even before our independence, on which the close and enduring relationship between Singapore and Cambodia rests today. Singapore will never forget that Cambodia was one of the first countries to recognise us when we gained our independence in 1965. We are today deeply honoured by Your Majesty's State Visit to Singapore. It represents another significant milestone in the long-standing relations between our two countries.

Your Majesty

I am heartened to note that relations between Cambodia and Singapore have strengthened over the past years. Regular exchanges of visits between our leaders and officials have helped to forge closer links. Bilateral trade and investment have increased. Singapore was the sixth largest investor in Cambodia last year. I am confident that Singapore businessmen will continue to look for more opportunities in Cambodia.

Singapore is also pleased to have been able to share its development experience with Cambodia. We will continue to contribute, within our capabilities, towards Cambodia’s developmental effort. Singapore has trained over 4,000 Cambodian officials in many fields, including English Language, Information Technology and Port Management. Given Your Majesty's interest in education, I am sure that your visit to one of our schools tomorrow will serve as a useful introduction to Singapore's education system. We firmly believe that education and skills development are the foundation for a country's long-term development. This emphasis forms an important part of our on-going bilateral technical cooperation programmes with Cambodia which also includes scholarships to bright Cambodian students to study in Singapore at the secondary, under-graduate and post-graduate levels.

I understand that Your Majesty had graced a special performance by the Singapore Dance Theatre at the Esplanade earlier today. The Arts is certainly one more important area where Singapore and Cambodia can benefit from cooperating with each other. We recognise the valuable contributions which Cambodia has continuously made to growth of culture and the Arts in the region. I am sure that audiences in Singapore would certainly appreciate a performance by the Royal Cambodian Ballet if they could include the Esplanade in their programme of overseas visits. Tomorrow, Your Majesty will visit the Asian Civilisations Museum, whose exhibits include displays of Khmer artefacts. There is scope for greater exchanges between both countries, and this is another area in which Singapore can learn from Cambodia.

Your Majesty

As neighbours of this region, it is in the common interests of both Singapore and Cambodia to keep ASEAN strong and relevant. This is especially critical at a time when major changes are reshaping the strategic landscape in East Asia. We must seek innovative ways to harness our strengths and synergies to bring prosperity to our region and to make ASEAN a cohesive and vibrant community.

Singapore and Cambodia have a long history of working closely for the benefit of our people and our region. Together, we will deal more effectively with common challenges such as the impact of globalisation and the scourge of terrorism. As we move into the future together, let me reassure Your Majesty that Singapore will always stand ready to work with Cambodia as we have done over the years gone by.

Your Majesty,
Royal Highnesses,
Honourable Ministers
Excellencies, Ladies & Gentlemen

May I now invite you to rise and join me in a toast
 

• to the good health and happiness of Their Majesties King-Father Norodom Sihanouk and Queen-Mother Norodom Monineath;

• to the good health and happiness of His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni;

• to the success and prosperity of the Kingdom of Cambodia; and

• to the continued friendship and close ties between the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Republic of Singapore.