Speech by President Tony Tan Keng Yam at the State Banquet hosted in honour of HE Juan Manuel Santos Calderon, President of the Republic of Colombia, and Mrs Maria Clemencia Rodriguez De Santos

Your Excellency President Juan Manuel Santos Calderon
President of the Republic of Colombia

Mrs Maria Clemencia Rodriguez de Santos

Excellencies

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

        It gives me great pleasure to welcome Your Excellency and your delegation to Singapore. Your Excellency's visit is the first visit by a Colombian Head of State to Singapore. It is a fitting way to mark the 30th anniversary year of the establishment of bilateral relations between our two countries.

        Colombia and Singapore established diplomatic relations on 15 December 1982. The world has experienced profound changes since then. Our two countries and the respective regions in which we are located have registered good economic growth, and have worked towards closer regional integration. In East Asia, this is done through an ASEAN-centric open architecture that remains externally engaged with major powers. In Latin America, you have established the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the Pacific Alliance amongst others. 

        Latin America and Asia have become engines of growth in the global economy. There is much potential for a mutually beneficial partnership between our two regions. Our desire to build links across the distance that separates us is not new. Singapore had worked with our partners in Latin America to establish the Forum for East Asia Latin America Cooperation, or FEALAC in 1999. FEALAC provides an institutionalised platform and bridge to further understanding between our regions. We are happy that Colombia has once again taken on the Regional Coordinatorship of Latin America for FEALAC. As the global economy experiences a slowdown due to weaknesses in the developed economies of the US and Europe, it is an opportune time for both regions to look further afield for unexplored and untapped opportunities. 

Excellencies

        Colombia is a rising star in Latin America with newfound stability and steady rates of growth. Colombia has the region's fifth-largest economy in terms of Gross Domestic Product, and is ranked by the World Bank in 2011 as the third-best place to do business in the region. These achievements are possible only with strong and stable leadership.   

        Trade between our two countries has more than doubled, growing by 128%, between 2010 and 2011. There are several Singaporean companies with a presence in Colombia and a Colombian trade office has recently been opened in Singapore. The signing of the Air Services Agreement between our two countries today will set the foundation for increased connectivity between our countries. The Memorandum of Understanding signed between International Enterprise Singapore (IE Singapore) and the Colombian Business Federation (ANDI) will also add further substance to our bilateral relationship. I welcome these developments and hope that our countries will continue to explore further cooperation in more areas.  

Your Excellency,

        Our two countries share many things in common. Singapore and Colombia are both countries that have experienced colonial rule and have emerged from difficult times to achieve stability, economic development and prosperity. Both our countries are continuously learning and adapting to a changing world and changing circumstances. We both share the orchid as our national flower. Earlier today, an orchid was named after President Santos in Singapore. It is a happy symbol of a beautiful friendship and another tangible link between us.     

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

May I invite you to rise and join me in a toast to:

·         The continued peace, progress, and prosperity of the Colombian people under President Santos’ leadership; and

·         The lasting friendship between Singapore and Colombia.