On June 25, President of Singapore Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his wife Jane Ittog Shanmugaratnam arrived in Estonia for an official visit. In the evening, Estonian President Alar Karis and Mrs Sirje Karis organised an official dinner in honour of the guests in the rose garden of the presidential office.
Meeting with his Singaporean counterpart Tharman Shanmugaratnam in Kadriorg, President Alar Karis remarked that Estonia and Singapore are both innovative countries which are eager to learn from each other, strengthen business ties and share their experiences in the fields of education, cybersecurity and the digital economy.
“Our two nations are at the top of the global education rankings, as reflected in our excellent PISA results,” he noted. “We should learn from each other’s strengths, because a smart population is the greatest asset a small country can have.”
On June 25, President of Singapore and his wife arrived in Estonia for an official visit. From left Mrs Jane Ittog Shanmugaratnam, President of Singapore Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of Estonia Alar Karis and Mrs Sirje Karis. Photo: Raigo Pajula
The heads of state discussed opportunities for cybersecurity cooperation and closer economic ties. “With its flourishing ecosystem of start-ups, Estonia can serve as the gateway to the Northern European market for Singaporean companies,” President Karis said. “Likewise, Singapore is a gateway for our entrepreneurs entering South-East Asia. We need look no further than the Estonian embassy and business hub that was opened in Singapore last year as proof of our companies’ desire to cooperate.”
President Karis added that it is in the interests of both Estonia and Singapore to bolster the rules-based world order, which is of enormous significance to small nations. “To that end there is an ever increasing need to act together in the UN, particularly to prompt reforms to the Security Council,” he said.
The head of state acknowledged Singapore’s support for Ukraine and said he shared the country’s concern regarding rising tensions in Asia and the stability of the Indo-Pacific region in general. He also touched on the conflict in Gaza and developments in the Middle East.
Further topics of discussion between the Estonian and Singaporean presidents were energy security and the diversification of renewable energy sources.
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