Toast by President Tony Tan Keng Yam at the Official Lunch hosted by Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany HE Mr Joachim Gauck

Your Excellency Mr Joachim Gauck
Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany

Excellencies

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

        On behalf of my delegation, I would like to express my warm appreciation to Your Excellency Mr Joachim Gauck, Federal President of Germany, as well as the German Government for the excellent arrangements and gracious hospitality that have been extended to us during our visit. My deep appreciation also goes to President Gauck for hosting this wonderful lunch in this beautiful setting.

        My current visit to Germany was prompted by the invitation extended to me by the Foundation Lindau Nobelprizewinners Meetings at Lake Constance (or Lindau Foundation for short) to attend the 62^nd Lindau Nobel Laureates Meeting from 1 to 6 July 2012. The Foundation also offered to induct me into the Foundation’s Honorary Senate. The honour of joining the likes of former Federal Presidents Roman Herzog and Johannes Rau, Federal Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel and Microsoft Founder Bill Gates was one I found difficult to refuse because of its great significance for Singapore, and especially for our efforts to foster scientific education and research and development in Singapore. 

        I am honoured that the German Government has invited me to make an official visit to Germany in conjunction with my visiting Lindau to attend the 62^nd Nobel Laureates Meeting. The invitation is a reflection of the breadth and depth of the friendship and partnership that our two countries enjoy. This is a relationship that has been nurtured over a few generations of political leaders starting from Singapore’s first Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew and Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt, and subsequently with Chancellors Helmut Schmidt and Helmut Kohl. The close friendship that the political leaders of our two countries had enjoyed at the highest levels was borne out of mutual respect and the sharing of minds on a range of strategic issues. This was exemplified most recently by Mr Schmidt’s visit to Singapore to meet with Mr Lee in May this year. Ours is a relationship that is based on synergy and is longer on substance than on form. 

        Today, Germany and Singapore continue to work very well together across different fields. Our bilateral trade links are particularly strong. Germany is Singapore’s largest EU trading partner, accounting for 20.2% of our trade with the EU. It is encouraging to see that there are over 1300 German companies in Singapore. When concluded, the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA) will give a further boost to that relationship. 

        Our cooperation in education and science and research is also very strong. I enjoyed my visit to the Technical University Munich (TUM) earlier this week. In collaboration with Nanyang Technological University and the National University of Singapore, TUM has set up its first overseas campus in Singapore - the German Institute of Science and Technology-TUM Asia. A*STAR, the government agency for scientific research, also runs joint research partnerships with the Max Planck Society. I am happy to see how we have managed to tap into each other’s core strengths in a mutually beneficial way.

        In terms of culture, the Goethe-Institut has been highly active in collaborating with Singapore’s cultural agencies across a wide range of platforms such as in museum collaborations, library exchanges, and the Singapore Arts Festival. German artists have been making their presence felt in Singapore through the Singapore Arts Festival and initiatives headed by the Goethe-Institut. In particular, we look forward to the visit of Germany’s Baden-Württemberg Youth Wind Orchestra, which will be performing in Singapore as part of a concert by the Singapore Philharmonic Winds in September 2012.

        More recently, Germany and Singapore also share a very unique connection. A piece of Germany’s history is showcased in a park in one of the public housing estates, which have become an icon of Singapore’s developments. Four segments of the Berlin Wall stand in our Bedok Reservoir Park in an exhibit that is aptly called the Kings of Freedom project. The exhibit is a poignant tribute to those who defended freedom during the Cold War. For Singaporeans, and especially our younger generation, it serves as a powerful reminder that we can never take our national unity and harmony for granted, and of the need for us to continue working together to preserve and strengthen social harmony. 

        I would also like to pay a tribute to the German community in Singapore, which has a long tradition in Singapore. Now numbering over 7000, the German community have contributed much over the years to the dynamism and diversity of Singapore’s social and cultural landscape. The Deutsches Haus or German Club in Singapore was first established by German traders in 1856. Beginning life first as the German Liedertafel Club, and later renamed the Teutonia Club, it is now 156 years old. It was perhaps very prophetic when a captain of a sailing ship from Hamburg dedicated a song in praise of the Teutonia Club in 1868 in Plattdeutsch, which goes like this:

        To the North and South, to the East and West

Wherever I have travelled

I like it in Singapore best

There can be found the best atmosphere

        The inscription of this dedication can still be seen today at the building that originally housed the German Club, and now the Goodwood Park Hotel on Scotts Road.

Mr President

Ladies and Gentlemen

        I would like to propose a toast to the continued prosperity of both our countries and express my hope that our relations will continue to grow from strength to strength.