Toast Speech By President Tharman Shanmugaratnam At The State Banquet Hosted In Honour Of Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, 23 May 2024

Your Excellency Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

Your Excellencies,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

1. Salom (meaning greetings) and good evening.

2. Let me begin by extending a warm welcome to His Excellency President Tokayev and to all our friends from Kazakhstan.  I am honoured to host Your Excellency on your first State Visit to Singapore. 

3. Yet while this is your first State Visit, Singapore is a very familiar place.  You visited us in 2016 as Chairman of the Senate, and in 2004 as Foreign Minister.  You even lived here as a young diplomat in the 1970s.  Singapore has changed a great deal since, but I hope that this visit brings back some fond memories.  

4. Kazakhstan is, of course, a storied nation. Situated in the heart of Eurasia along ancient trade routes, it carries the legacies of historical empires and peoples. It has been a crossroads where goods, ideas, and cultures from the East and West converge. Today, it is home to a population of diverse ethnicities, committed to multiracial and multireligious peace. It is emerging not just as a trade and transit hub, but as a leading player in green and renewable energy in Central Asia.

5. Singapore-Kazakhstan relations have deepened and strengthened over the years.  The foundation was laid by Mr Lee Kuan Yew who made his first visit to Kazakhstan in 1991, just prior to your independence. Mr Lee had been invited to share his experiences on Singapore’s development. Since then, we have enjoyed a healthy exchange of visits.    

6. Last year, we marked the 30^th anniversary of our relations with a series of significant events. My predecessor, President Halimah Yacob, made a State Visit to Kazakhstan, the first by a Singapore Head of State to Central Asia.  Second, we signed the Services and Investment (S&I) Agreement.  This was the first bilateral agreement between Singapore and a Central Asian country under the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union-Singapore Free Trade Agreement.  Third, we agreed on a pilot capacity building programme for the five Central Asian countries.  This was also the first collaboration of this type between Singapore and Kazakhstan.   

7. Today, Kazakhstan is Singapore’s largest trading partner in Central Asia. Our trade in goods and services increased at a remarkable pace last year. An increasing number of Singapore companies are active in Kazakhstan. For example, Surbana Jurong is involved in master-planning for the Alatau Special Economic Zone. PSA is involved in the Trans-Caspian International Trade Route.  More Singapore companies are exploring the economic opportunities in Kazakhstan, a nation rich in natural resources and serving as a gateway to the broader Central Asian region.

8. We also welcome Kazakh companies to use Singapore as a springboard into ASEAN. ASEAN is a region of considerable economic opportunity. By 2030, it is set to become the world’s fourth largest economy. Singapore welcomes Kazakhstan’s interest to engage ASEAN in areas of mutual interest like green and renewable energy, and food security. 

9. We look forward to the impending ratification of our Services and Investment (S&I) Agreement. Once it is in force, this agreement will provide companies with greater business confidence and encourage further commercial exchanges between the two countries.

Your Excellency

10. We had good discussions this morning on strengthening our cooperation in various fields. The agreements that were signed during this visit cover areas such as trade and economic cooperation, security, intellectual property rights protection, and higher education.  These will enhance our collaboration. 

11. There is potential for us to do more.  First, we can improve air connectivity between Kazakhstan and Singapore. We welcome Air Astana’s plans to launch direct flights to Singapore. This will be Changi Airport’s first air link with Central Asia, and will boost both tourism and business travel.  Second, we can explore the possibility of Kazakh agrifood exports to Singapore. Third, we can exchange experiences in managing multi-religious and multi-ethnic societies. Kazakhstan and Singapore share a common interest in promoting mutual understanding and harmony within our diverse societies.        

Your Excellency President Tokayev

12. Let me close by wishing you a belated happy birthday.  Allow me to also quote a well-known Kazakh proverb which says, “Friendship is an inexhaustible wealth”. We in Singapore certainly appreciate our growing wealth of friendship with Kazakhstan and look forward to doing more together.       

Your Excellencies,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

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

• The good health and success of President Tokayev;

• The progress and prosperity of the people of Kazakhstan; and

• The continued friendship between our countries.

Raqmet!