MFA Press Statement: Launch of MFA Exhibition on “50 Years of Singapore’s Foreign Policy”, 1 December 2015

                Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, launched the exhibition titled “50 Years of Singapore’s Foreign Policy” on 1 December 2015 at Capitol Piazza.  The guests at the launch included Members of Parliament from the Government Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Foreign Affairs, grassroots leaders and officers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

                The exhibition, organised by MFA, traces the milestones in Singapore’s diplomatic history through old documents and photos from the Ministry’s collection, the National Archives and graciously shared by some other countries. It is a key part of MFA’s SG50 commemorative events.

                The exhibition focuses on the following themes:

                ·        Safeguarding our sovereignty, including the immediate steps taken upon independence

                ·        Maintaining a secure and peaceful environment in the region

                ·        Creating international relevance and opportunities for Singaporeans

                ·        Being a responsible global citizen

                The exhibition also showcases the work that MFA does, including the role it plays in assisting and engaging Singaporeans overseas. 

                The exhibition will be on display at Capitol Piazza from 1 to 13 December 2015.  It is open to the public from 10.00 am to 10.00 pm daily. Admission is free. 

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

1 DECEMBER 2015

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OPENING REMARKS BY MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS DR VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN AT THE LAUNCH OF MFA EXHIBITION ON “50 YEARS OF SINGAPORE’S FOREIGN POLICY” AT CAPITOL PIAZZA, 1 DECEMBER 2015

1        Thank you and a good afternoon.  Welcome to everyone here, including my Cabinet and Parliamentary colleagues, my colleagues in the Ministry and our pioneer diplomats.  50 years ago, Singapore was thrust into independence when we were separated from Malaysia.  It was sudden and abrupt.  We were small and vulnerable.  We had lost our economic hinterland.  We had no defence capabilities of our own.  We had little national savings.

2        If you cast your minds back to 1965, the Cold War was still unfolding, the Vietnam War was hot. Some of you may be old enough to remember our parents talking about “dominoes” – that non-communist Southeast Asian countries would fall one after another.  This was a really tough neighbourhood.  So our survival was not something which we could take for granted.  If you think about the fledgling Ministry of Foreign Affairs then, it was an eclectic group of people transferred from different Ministries – brought together and told that “you are now pioneer diplomats”.  I think (Ambassador-at-Large) Tommy Koh will remember some of the flavour of that time.

3        Our first Foreign Minister, Mr S Rajaratnam, asked the then Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, what Singapore’s foreign policy should be.  I think this was a most apt question.  And Mr Lee said, “Raja, you had better wear a tie and a lounge suit.  That is most important.  Then after that, you just say what comes to the top of your head”.  You know, we can laugh about it today, but in fact, it reflects the circumstances of the time.  It reflects the innate ability and instinctive trust between the pioneer leaders of the time.

4        But it was not so simple. As a newly independent country, one of the first orders of the day was to secure recognition from international friends and on the international stage.  Mr Rajaratnam made Singapore’s first statement as an independent nation at the United Nations on the 21st of September 1965.  At the same meeting, 116 countries voted in the UN for the admission of Singapore into the world body.  I checked just now, we were the 117th member.  That basically means there was unanimous agreement to accept Singapore into the United Nations.

5        Our founding fathers went to great lengths to secure legitimacy, and when I say great lengths, I mean real travelling.  So, soon after, Dr Toh Chin Chye, Mr Rajaratnam, and a small delegation, embarked on a two month tour of Africa, Europe and Asia to explain the circumstances of our independence and to project a new image of Singapore as an independent country.  In those two months, they travelled to 15 countries.  I was going to ask (Senior Ministers of State) Maliki and Josephine whether we have done 15 countries in two months.  I don't think we have, and if you bear in mind that travel by air in those years, 50 years ago, was much more onerous than today, I think you get an idea of the great lengths to which our pioneers went to project Singapore's independence and sovereignty.  Mr Lee Kuan Yew and Mr Rajaratnam were able to tap on the relationships that they had already formed with foreign leaders in the Commonwealth and Asia, from the period when Singapore achieved self-government in 1959.  Again, this illustrates the point: the importance of having old friends, and of building networks of mutual respect.  Within a year of independence, we had established a Mission in KL and a Mission at the United Nations.  All within one year. 

6        Fast forward 50 years.  Today we have 49 resident missions.  We have 41 non-resident missions.  We have 31 honorary missions.  Basically this means we operate in about 90 countries and we are represented at 9 international organisations.  So our diplomatic work continues on that foundation that was built by our pioneers.   

7        At multilateral fora, the UN, the Commonwealth, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Asia-Europe Meeting, the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation – FEALAC for short – and then the more recent entity, the Forum of Small States, which we played, I believe, a crucial role at its conception.  We also have an active role in other organisations like the International Maritime Organisation, the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the International Atomic Energy Agency.  All these memberships are to safeguard our interests.  In fact, just a few days ago, Singapore was re-elected to the IMO Council, and won the most number of votes amongst all the contesting member states!  I think this has been a good electoral record for Singapore and for the PAP this year.   But this really is only possible because of the recognition and affirmation of the international community that, despite our small size, we still count.

8        Last week, the Prime Minister mentioned four ways in which we remain relevant and in which we advance our interests.  It's worth summarising those four points again.  First, we have to remain a cohesive, united community.  A divided Singapore has no chance.  Second, we need to be successful.  If we are not successful, no one would bother to talk with us even if we had the most eloquent diplomats in the world.  Third, to make friends, and not just friends, but to make common cause with as many countries as possible, paying special attention to others, who like us, are small or have special challenges or disadvantages.  And fourth, to be a constructive and positive player on the international stage.  I'm very glad to see Tommy here with us today.  He was President of the third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and played a pivotal role in the formulation of UNCLOS, which we depend on even today. 

9        You see, the larger point is this – that as a small country, if we are not going to be pushed around, we need to support a multilateral rules-based world order. Because without a multilateral rules-based world order, the only alternative is to work on the principle that “might is right” or that size determines everything. So we have continued on this journey.  We have continued to expand our economic space.  We have a whole wide network of Free Trade Agreements which span the globe from the Americas, to Europe, to the Gulf States, to ASEAN, East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.  I think we now have about 21 FTAs with 32 trading partners.  And in fact, one of the panels which you see today at this exhibition will reflect the story of a golf game that ESM Goh Chok Tong and President Bill Clinton played in 2000 in Brunei.  I think they played a midnight game – the game almost got cancelled because of a thunderstorm, probably as bad as today’s.  Fortunately the storm cleared, they continued with their midnight game, and in 20 minutes, ESM Goh and President Clinton conceived the US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, which we subsequently signed a few years later.  This is golf diplomacy at its best.  And I think that is probably a reminder to those of you who do play golf to keep brushing it up, and to build that network in order to maximise opportunities for Singapore.

10      We also have flagship economic projects in other countries.  For instance, we have joint venture industrial parks in Indonesia and Vietnam, and we have three Government-to-Government projects in China, including the latest project in Chongqing which was launched just recently when President Xi Jinping came to Singapore.  We are also helping India in the master-planning, and hopefully, in the development of Andhra Pradesh’s new capital city at Amaravati.

11      Another aspect of our foreign policy has been to pay it forward.  In our early years of independence, we benefitted greatly from technical assistance and advice from other developed countries and from international organisations such as the World Bank and UN agencies. You will recall persons like Albert Winsemius who first came to Singapore as a UN Advisor. The World Bank also made a loan to Singapore to upgrade our sewage system. One of the conditions of that loan was that PUB had to start charging a reasonable tariff for the treatment of used water. So you see, again, all these early benefits, advice, and head-start, made a difference to us. And now that we have achieved a certain level of success, we continue to pay that forward.     

12      And that’s why in 1992, MFA started the Singapore Cooperation Programme to share our own development experience with others, with other countries. And under this programme, we equip other government officials with the necessary skills and knowledge so that they in turn can make a real impact in their respective countries.

13      More than 170 countries have benefitted from the Singapore Cooperation Programme since its inception.  We conduct about 300 courses each year for 7000 officials from all over the world.  This July, we welcomed our 100,000^th Singapore Cooperation Programme participant.  These are quite significant numbers because this is not just giving away money.  This is spending time, this is engaging, this is transferring, downloading skills and effort.

14      In support of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we launched a new Sustainable Development Programme this year.  And under this programme, we will work with partners to offer leadership programmes on sustainable cities and urbanisation, to provide training and consultancy especially in the areas of water and sanitation.  And this is not because I used to be the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources.

15      But of course, ultimately, the people of Singapore are MFA’s priority.  More and more Singaporeans are travelling abroad for leisure, for business, for studies.  Our consular services support Singaporeans all over the world.  The men and women of our Foreign Ministry are committed to doing all that they can to help Singaporeans overseas, especially those in distress.  We recall the earthquake that struck Nepal in April, and then later on in June, the earthquake with fatal consequences in Mount Kinabalu.  And MFA officers were on the ground, made a real difference, held real hands, and I believe, soothed real aching hearts.  And this is again another reminder of the sacred mission that all MFA officers perform.

16      So 50 years have passed since we were thrust into independence.  Our key interests then, and today, remain unchanged.  We are a small city state.  We need our wits to survive and thrive.  We want to be masters of our own destiny. We have to protect our independence, our sovereignty, and we have to maintain our relevance on the international stage.

17      So I want to take this opportunity to remind all of us that we are here today, at this exhibition, to pay a tribute, to pay tribute to our founding pioneers, Mr S Rajaratnam and Mr Lee Kuan Yew, who more than anyone else, made foreign policy and gave Singapore its chance on the world stage.  In fact, this year marks the centenary of Mr Rajaratnam’s birth.  The Foreign Ministry would not be what it is today without the foresight and vision of that great man.  And so, I leave you with the words of Mr Rajaratnam in 1966: “Now that Singapore is independent, the responsibility for tomorrow is also ours – and there will always be a tomorrow…we must learn to do things today with tomorrow very clearly in our minds”.

18               So ladies and gentlemen, let us pay tribute to our pioneers and let us remember to do the things today with tomorrow, with the long term view, in mind. Thank you all very much.

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