Toast Speech by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the State Banquet Hosted by King Philippe of the Belgians at the Castle of Laeken on 24 March 2025

Your Majesties,

Excellencies,

Distinguished guests,

1.     My spouse, Jane and I would like to express our deepest appreciation to Your Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde for your gracious invitation to make this State Visit - in fact, the first State Visit between Singapore and Belgium - and also for your warm and generous hospitality, that we've already experienced during the first day and a half of our visit here.

2.      I also would like to thank Your Majesty King Philippe for the exceptionally thoughtful speech that you've given us - both for its realism  as well as the basis for optimism that you laid out in that context, in that new world we now find ourselves in. So thank you very much for setting the stage for further discussions.

3.    I'm really delighted to be here this evening to celebrate what is really a close friendship between our countries. It's been almost 60 years since we had formal diplomatic relations, and it's allowed us to build a strong and enduring bond  built on a shared commitment to open economies, multilateralism and a rules-based international order. We are both at the heart of our respective regions, with larger neighbours, but deeply integrated into both regional and global networks, and our two countries have thrived by thinking and acting internationally.

4.     It will soon be the 60th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. However, our interactions started well before then. Our shared history dates back more than 400 years to the arrival of Jacques de Coutre, a Flemish merchant from Bruges who recognised the strategic significance of Singapore’s port. That was almost two centuries before the British arrived in Singapore.

5.     And although Jacques’ plan in the early 1600s to develop Singapore into a maritime hub did not materialise at that time, his foresight speaks to our enduring ties and shared spirit of enterprise that we have experienced together. Today, Belgium is a strategic gateway to Europe, just as Singapore is to Southeast Asia. As leading ports of call, we are also natural partners in the maritime world.  

6.     Belgian expertise features prominently in Singapore’s maritime story, and indeed in several other sectors of our economy. DEME, a world-leading Belgian marine engineering firm, worked on land reclamation and the construction of deep-water berths in Singapore. The company has helped lay the groundwork for our new automated port at Tuas.

7.    Meanwhile, Singaporean port operator PSA’s largest presence outside of Singapore is in Antwerp. I look forward to the success of Project Emerald, an ambitious initiative by PSA with its partners to modernise, expand terminal capacity and make its operations more sustainable at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.

8.     Tomorrow, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore will also exchange a Memorandum of Understanding with the Port of Antwerp-Bruges to enhance digitalisation and decarbonisation in the maritime sector. All this is testament to our growing cooperation not just in ports, but as we push the frontiers of new technology and prepare our economies and peoples for the future.

9.      We are both R&D hubs in critical sectors like pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. On Wednesday, I will visit UC Louvain, where research, innovation, and entrepreneurship are at the heart of the university’s history and culture. I will also tour IBA International, a medical technology company that has been spun off from UC Louvain. IBA, which is developing proton therapy to treat cancer, amongst other innovations, has a presence in Singapore.

10.   At the same time, both Singapore and Belgium believe that no one should be left behind in the ongoing technological revolution. For example, Belgium invests in democratising access to digital skills education through a dedicated Digital Skills Fund (DBSF). This mirrors Singapore’s efforts, including through our SkillsFuture programme.

Your Majesties,

11.   Geographic distances have not stopped cultural exchanges between our peoples, and they even have added to our curiosity in each other.

    1.     For many Singaporeans, Hergé’s Tintin – a series that many of us as children were exposed to. It was a childhood staple in our time. It provided a fascinating window to the wider world at a time when there was little opportunity to travel, and indeed for many families in Singapore, when there wasn’t television. Today, direct flights between Singapore and Brussels by Singapore Airlines and numerous other connections have made it much easier for Singaporeans to visit Tintin’s birthplace.

    2.    Our artists have also made their marks in Singapore and Belgium. Belgian artist Delphine Rama, who now lives in Singapore, showcased her abstract work at the Singapore Art Week and at a fundraising auction for National Gallery Singapore in 2022.

    3.    In turn, the late Singaporean artist Lee Wen’s interactive installation, Ping Pong Go-Round, was displayed at the Kortrijk Triennial last year. Reshaping the table-tennis table as a doughnut, much like a UN roundtable, his piece signified the power of inclusive conversations that put humanity at the centre.

    4.    And for those attuned to electronic dance music, Singaporean DJ Bryan Chin, whose stage name is Toska, performed at Tomorrowland in Antwerp last year, playing a 30-minute set of tracks from his unreleased album. As many would know, Tomorrowland is one of the best-followed annual music festivals internationally. 

12.   Singaporean and Belgian universities are also providing opportunities for our youths to learn in each other’s countries and interact. UC Louvain and KU Leuven are in fact popular destinations for Singaporean exchange students. Our own universities also welcome Belgian students from institutions such as the University of Antwerp and the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management. These exchanges bring added diversity to our campuses, and help our students become global-minded citizens.

Your Majesties,

13.   In today’s increasingly uncertain and troubled world, as King Philippe has just highlighted, Belgium and Singapore’s mutual trust and shared commitment to bridge-building and dialogue takes on greater significance. As we approach the 60th anniversary of relations, we can be confident that our longstanding ties will continue to grow ever closer and stronger, and that we may make our own modest contributions to upholding multilateralism and preserving a rules-based order.

14.   On behalf of my delegation, Jane and I would once again like to thank Your Majesties for your warm hospitality and for ensuring a productive and stimulating State Visit. 

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

15.    May I invite you to join me in a toast:

    1.    To the good health and success of Your Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde;

    2.    To the continued peace and prosperity of Belgium; and

    3.    To the enduring amity and cooperation between our countries.

16.    Cheers.