Statement to the Press by President Tony Tan at the Prague Castle, Prague

Thank you President Zeman for your kind words and your warm welcome.  

I would like to express my gratitude for the generous hospitality and thoughtful arrangements which have been made for my State Visit.  The last visit by a Singapore President was almost 20 years ago in 1998.  My State Visit is a renewal of Singapore’s commitment to growing Singapore-Czech ties and underscores the importance of the friendship between our two countries.

During our meeting, President Zeman and I reaffirmed the warm and friendly relations between Singapore and the Czech Republic.  Bilateral relations between our two countries are multi-faceted, with good political, economic, education, and cultural ties.  

Economic ties between Singapore and the Czech Republic have grown in the last two decades.  President Zeman and I agreed that there is potential to deepen our economic links, and discussed ways to strengthen economic cooperation, as well as collaboration in education.  We agreed that once the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA) is ratified, it will bolster the ties between our two countries even further.

President Zeman and I earlier witnessed the signing of several MOUs which will boost the ties between Singapore and the Czech Republic.  The two MOUs between the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic (SPCR), and between International Enterprise Singapore (IES) and CzechTrade, will promote bilateral trade and investment opportunities.  The third MOU between the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Charles University will facilitate more exchanges between the two universities.

President Zeman and I welcomed even more exchanges.  Singapore is the gateway to Southeast Asia and ASEAN – a region of great economic potential.  
Likewise, the Czech Republic is the door to Central and Eastern Europe.  I briefed President Zeman on the recent developments in Southeast Asia.  We agreed that it is important for our countries to remain open and to expand our global networks as fellow small states in an ever-changing environment.

Next year marks the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and the Czech Republic.  I am confident that the bilateral relations between our two countries will strengthen.

Finally, let me take this opportunity to invite His Excellency President Zeman to visit Singapore, so that we can reciprocate the kind hospitality accorded to us by President Zeman.

Thank you.