Toast Speech by President Halimah Yacob at The State Banquet Hosted in Honour of President José Ramos-Horta, President of The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste

His Excellency Dr José Ramos-Horta,

President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A very warm welcome to President Ramos-Horta and the Timor-Leste delegation. It is my pleasure to host President Ramos-Horta on the first-ever State Visit from Timor-Leste to Singapore. I would also like to congratulate President Ramos-Horta on his election earlier this year.

President Ramos-Horta’s State Visit to Singapore takes place at an important milestone in our bilateral relations. This year, we celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Timor-Leste. Actually, the friendship between our countries dates back to even before Timor-Leste’s independence in 2002. Singapore was among the first countries to contribute to peacekeeping operations in Timor-Leste in 1999 through the International Force East Timor, or INTERFET. Over the course of our involvement which lasted until 2012, the Singapore Armed Forces contributed over 1,000 personnel including medical teams and combat peacekeepers, as well as equipment like Landing Ship Tanks and helicopters. The Singapore Police Force also sent police officers to Timor-Leste as part of the UN civilian police contingent and helped to set up the East Timor Police Service. Our officers have fond memories of their time in Timor-Leste and made lasting friendships with the Timorese people.

This evening, we have invited four of them to join us at the State Banquet. I would like to highlight one of them - BG(Ret) Eric Tan Huck Gim, who served as Force Commander for the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor, or UNMISET, from 2002 to 2003. BG Tan stayed on after the conclusion of the UNMISET missions to become the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General for the UN Integrated Mission in East Timor, or UNMIT, to assist with capacity-building efforts in Timor-Leste. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our servicemen and women for their service and contribution to the relations between Singapore and Timor-Leste.

Indeed, the warm and friendly ties between Singapore and Timor-Leste have strengthened over the years. Singapore was Timor-Leste’s top trading partner and export destination in 2021, with bilateral trade increasing by 46% year-on-year before the COVID-19 pandemic. Singapore companies are also investing in Timor-Leste in areas such as hospitality and real estate. With a young and dynamic population, Timor-Leste has great economic potential with opportunities for our businesses to collaborate on. I am glad that direct flights have resumed between Singapore and Dili, which will enhance our connectivity and facilitate the strengthening of business and people-to-people ties.

Your Excellency, Singapore has been and will continue to be a strong supporter of Timor-Leste’s development. Over the past 20 years, we have contributed to Timor-Leste’s capacity-building efforts through the Singapore Cooperation Programme, or SCP in short. Over 800 Timorese officials have participated in our SCP courses in areas such as economic development and public administration. I am pleased that Singapore is launching a special technical assistance package – the “Singapore - Timor-Leste ASEAN Readiness Support” package or “STARS” in short, customised specifically to support Timor-Leste in its preparations for ASEAN membership. This is timely as ASEAN leaders gave their in-principle agreement last month to admit Timor-Leste as the 11^th member of ASEAN. The STARS package will include courses and workshops geared towards supporting Timor-Leste’s participation at ASEAN meetings, as well as train-the-trainer capacity-building courses on education, such as curriculum development as well as technical and vocational education and training. I hope that our Timorese friends will find these courses useful.

Amidst the uncertain and complex geopolitical landscape today, the partnership between Singapore and Timor-Leste remains as important as ever. As fellow small island states, we share many common interests and similar worldviews. Both our countries are outward-looking, support multilateralism and believe in the importance of an open and inclusive regional architecture. We also face common vulnerabilities and challenges such as climate change, and can share experiences with each other. We should work together, as friends and partners, to overcome the challenges and to identify new opportunities for cooperation. During our meeting earlier this morning, President Ramos-Horta and I agreed that there is scope for us to expand our partnership. I believe that under President Ramos-Horta’s leadership, we will continue to bring our bilateral relations to greater heights.

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

May I now invite you to join me in a toast:

To the continued good health and success of His Excellency President José Ramos-Horta;

To the continued peace and prosperity of Timor-Leste; and

To the enduring friendship between Singapore and Timor-Leste.

Thank you.