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CNA
13-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
Polish President Duda concludes state visit to Singapore to reaffirm bilateral and business ties
SINGAPORE: Polish President Andrzej Duda on Friday (Jun 13) concluded a three-day state visit to Singapore, which marked a significant milestone in ties between the two nations. He is the first Polish president to visit Singapore in over 20 years. Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the visit reaffirms the growing ties between the two countries. Mr Duda was received by Singapore's President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at Parliament House on Thursday, where he inspected a guard of honour contingent. The two presidents spoke about collaboration in areas like port and logistics development, agri-food exports to Singapore, and sustainable energy. They also discussed global geopolitical and security developments. At a state banquet hosted in Mr Duda's honour, Mr Tharman said bilateral trade has grown significantly, and there is much more that both sides can do to capitalise on each other's roles as hubs within their respective regions. "There is a Polish saying that goes 'grain by grain, the measure will be filled',' said President Tharman. 'Step by step, we will build a meaningful relationship. And that epitomises the way we are going about our strategic relationship.' Mr Duda expressed Poland's intent to deepen its engagement in the region. 'My visit is a confirmation of Poland's growing presence in Southeast Asia and its interest in developing comprehensive relations with the countries of the region,' he added. 'Singapore has long been a key partner for Poland in this region, and we will wish for our relations to rise to a new, much higher level.' The two leaders encouraged businesses to explore investments in each other's countries. There are around 170 Polish companies in Singapore, while Singapore also invests significantly in Poland's transport and logistics sector. Since the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA) came into force in 2019, bilateral goods trade between Singapore and Poland has grown by 50 per cent, reaching a high of nearly S$1.7 billion (US$1.3 billion) last year. BUSINESS TIES During the Singapore-Poland Business Forum on Friday, Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu highlighted the importance of like-minded partners like Singapore and Poland in creating opportunities for growth. Both nations should also bolster the rules-based trading system through economic agreements, she added. 'Poland and Singapore share robust and growing bilateral economic relations, anchored by EUSFTA,' she said. "Creating new avenues for growth and innovation is another important way to economic success. Singapore and Poland have complementary strengths and needs in sectors such as food and digital technology, creating scope for new partnerships.' Mr Duda also identified several areas for future collaboration, including the digital economy, food security, infrastructure and logistics. 'Singapore's logistics and port operators are global leaders. There is definitely room for partnerships in warehousing, freight and trade facilitation between Europe and Asia,' he said. During his trip, Mr Duda also visited ST Engineering and port operator PSA International. NEW POLISH PRESIDENT Mr Duda and his wife, First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda, were also presented with a new orchid hybrid – the Genus Andrzej and Agata Duda – at the National Orchid Garden. Mr Duda's visit comes near the end of his second five-year term, which is set to conclude in August. He will be succeeded by historian Karol Nawrocki. Polish Ambassador to Singapore Tadeusz Chomicki said he expects continuity from the new president for foreign policies regarding Asia and Singapore. 'They come from the same political background. When it comes to foreign policy, our activities, especially in the Asia Pacific region, there is no difference between the parties,' he told CNA938. 'We all see big opportunities and potential, between Poland and a number of countries in Asia.' Before arriving in Singapore, the Polish president was in Malaysia for a three-day official visit. Mr Duda described his tour as an effort to encourage potential regional investors to look to Poland. 'Poland has witnessed rapid development in the last years. The Polish economy is getting more robust and strong,' he said. 'We are proponents of the most open trade and the possible most open way to transport goods. I would like Poland to have the best possible relations, to have as many contacts as possible in the trade sphere.' ON UKRAINE AND MILITARY SPENDING During a wide-ranging interview with CNA, Mr Duda said his country is extremely concerned about the war in neighbouring Ukraine. 'Looking at our historical experiences with Russia, we're afraid of a potential Russian aggression. Our obvious response was to … modernise our armed forces, and we decided to increase our defence spending,' he said. He added the nation is spending 4.7 per cent of its gross domestic product on defence, well above the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) current guideline of 2 per cent. He added that China could play a significant role in ending the bloodshed. 'China is such a big superpower that it is able to have an impact on … Russia. It is able to be the stabiliser. (Beijing) can contribute to ending Russian aggression against Ukraine… to finding a peaceful solution. I count very much on China playing a creative and positive role here,' he said.
CNA
29-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- CNA
French President Macron and Singapore PM Lawrence Wong visit Lau Pa Sat hawker centre, try local fare
SINGAPORE: French President Emmanuel Macron and Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong jostled with dinner crowds at Lau Pau Sat on Thursday (May 29), the first of Mr Macron's two-day state visit to Singapore. The two country leaders arrived at the downtown food centre slightly after 9pm and were joined by their wives, Mrs Brigitte Macron and Ms Loo Tze Lui. Mr Macron and Mr Wong were swamped with wefie requests every few steps, but patiently took some photos and had brief conversations with some patrons. Many diners stood on tables and chairs to snap photos and videos of the two leaders. Some live-streamed the occasion, while others were seen video-calling loved ones to show them the scenes. Despite all the hustle and bustle, the French president managed to try some local dishes. When the leaders headed to the open-air satay street, some diners cheered 'vive la France', or long live France. The two left at about 9.45pm. Mr Macron will attend a welcome ceremony at Parliament House on Friday, and meet Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. A state banquet will take place in honour of Mr Macron and his wife. Mr Macron will also meet Mr Wong again on Friday, to witness the exchange of several memoranda of understanding that include cooperation in areas such as defence and security, legal matters, artificial intelligence and transport, among others. While in Singapore, Mr Macron will also deliver the keynote speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's largest forum on security and defence. The French president will be in Singapore until Friday.
CNA
29-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
French President Macron to make state visit to Singapore
SINGAPORE: French President Emmanuel Macron will arrive in Singapore on Thursday (May 29) for a two-day state visit. The visit will commemorate 60 years of diplomatic relations between Singapore and France, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement. This will be the third and final stop of his Southeast Asia tour, which earlier saw him visit Vietnam and Indonesia. During his visit, the French president will be received in a welcome ceremony at Parliament House on Friday, and meet with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. A state banquet will take place in honour of Mr Macron and his wife, Mrs Brigitte Macron. Mr Macron will also meet Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong on Friday, where the two will witness the exchange of several memorandums of understanding that include cooperation in areas such as defence and security, legal matters, artificial intelligence and transport, amongst others. Ahead of these engagements, Mr Wong will host a dinner on Thursday to welcome the French president. During a meeting in April 2024, Mr Wong and Mr Macron agreed to continue working towards upgrading the relationship between Singapore and France to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). In a statement at the time, MFA said: "The upgrade to a CSP reflects the multifaceted cooperation between both countries and the joint desire to develop a forward-looking framework for cooperation in new sectors like the digital economy." While in Singapore, Mr Macron will also deliver the keynote speech at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's largest forum on security and defence. Mr and Mrs Macron will be accompanied by France's Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty Eric Lombard, Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot, Minister of Culture Rachida Dati, Minister Delegate for AI and Digital Affairs Clara Chappaz, and several senior French officials. During Mr Macron's first formal visit to Vietnam, France and Vietnam signed deals for 20 Airbus planes and cooperation on nuclear energy, among other pacts.
Emirates 24/7
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Emirates 24/7
UAE President bids farewell as US President concludes state visit to the UAE
US President Donald Trump departed Abu Dhabi today, marking the conclusion of his state visit to the UAE. UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan led the official farewell for the US President and his delegation at the Presidential Airport in Abu Dhabi. Also present to bid farewell were H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi; His Highness Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser; His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Office of Development and Martyrs Families Affairs at the Presidential Court; H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs; H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Advisor to the UAE President; His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the President's Office for Strategic Affairs and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office; His Excellency Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority; and His Excellency Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the United States, along with several senior officials. As the aircraft carrying the US President departed, it was escorted by a formation of military jets. Before take-off, the squadron leader requested the US President's permission to accompany the plane until it had cleared UAE airspace. Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
