PRAGUE: Nurturing human talent and staying open to expand global networks are important for “small, young countries like Singapore and the Czech Republic”, said President Tony Tan Keng Yam on Wednesday (May 24) during his state visit to Czech Republic.
To facilitate the exchange of knowledge between universities and businesses, Dr Tan and Czech President Milos Zeman witnessed the signing of three new partnerships.
President Tan received a ceremonial welcome on Wednesday and was hosted to a state lunch by President Zeman at the Prague Castle, after arriving in the Czech Republic on Tuesday.
Speaking at a joint press conference after their meeting, President Tan said both leaders had reaffirmed the “warm and friendly relations” between Singapore and the Czech Republic, describing the relationship between both countries as “multi-faceted, with good political, economic, education and cultural ties”.
On his part, President Zeman said he is pleased that President Tan “has selected our territory as the place of his last state visit”, adding that he is considering re-opening an embassy in Singapore.
The Czech Republic closed its embassy in Singapore in 2008, in a move which Mr Zeman said was to save costs. “We should correct this mistake”, he told Dr Tan.
Singapore and Czech Republic established diplomatic relations in February 1993, a month after the Czech Republic achieved independence. The last time a Singapore president made a state visit to the Czech Republic was in 1998 when Mr Ong Teng Cheong was president.
Then-Czech president Vaclav Klaus also made a state visit to Singapore in 2006.
LEARNING FROM MR BATA’S ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT
But Dr Tan pointed out that Czech-Singapore ties go back even further, with Tomas Bata travelling from Zlin to Singapore 80 years ago to establish the Bata Shoe Company, which became known for white shoes for school children. The company slogan “First to Bata, then to school” is well-known to Singaporeans.
Now, Singapore is home to Bata Asia Pacific and Africa, which manages 3,000 outlets in the region. Dr Tan said he hopes that more companies will “embody the entrepreneurial spirit of Mr Bata”, and explore opportunities in each other’s markets.
There are currently 47 Czech companies in Singapore.
A general view of Prague’s river bank and Prague Castle in the background. (Photo: Michal Cizek/AFP)
Dr Tan said both he and President Zeman agreed that there is potential to deepen links, and that the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement will boost ties further, once it is ratified.
The Czech Republic is Singapore’s 16th-largest trading partner in the European Union, with bilateral trade amounting to S$851.5 million in 2016.
Memoranda of Understanding were signed between the Singapore Business Federation and the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic (SPCR), and between IE Singapore and CzechTrade to promote bilateral trade and investment opportunities.
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Charles University also signed a partnership to facilitate more exchanges between the two universities.
“For small countries like Singapore and the Czech Republic where human capital is a key resource, nurturing human talent is vital to our survival,” said Dr Tan.
He added that with both countries as gateways into their respective regions, it is important for Singapore and the Czech Republic to remain open and expand global networks as “fellow small states in an ever-changing environment”.
The Czech Republic is the 14th-largest city in the European Union, with a population size of about 10.6 million people, and less than 1.3 million living in the capital city of Prague.
CULTURAL EXCHANGES HAVE “FLOURISHED”
Apart from economic ties, Dr Tan said cultural exchanges between both countries have flourished, citing the Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s performance at the Prague Spring International Music Festival in 2016, and the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra in Singapore in 2004.
Close people-to-people links, too, support the strong relations between both countries, he said. In 2016, Singapore received more than 10,000 Czech tourists.
Dr Tan said he is confident that bilateral relations between the two countries will strengthen, as both countries approach the 25th anniversary of diplomatic bilateral relations next year.
The Singapore President will be in the Czech Republic for four days, after a three-day state visit to Poland.
