Transcript of the joint doorstop interview by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Singapore, 13 May 2003

Transcript of the joint doorstop interview by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Singapore, 13 May 2003

Prime Minister Goh: Good morning, ladies and gentleman. This is a very important visit by Chancellor Schroeder and especially important, given the SARS situation in Singapore and other countries in Southeast Asia. Why I say this is important is because we have always said that without EU playing a role in Southeast Asia economically and strategically, Southeast Asia would not be able to grow and prosper. So we are very glad that by his coming over here, Chancellor Schroeder is signalling the importance of Southeast Asia and Singapore to Germany, and of course, also to the European Union. With that, I invite the Chancellor to say a few words.

Chancellor Schroeder: Thank you very much indeed. Ladies and gentlemen, I have come here not just to visit but I am indeed returning a visit which your Prime Minister made to Berlin. We have looked at bilateral relations between our two countries and we have noticed they are indeed free of troubles and problems altogether. I can only refer to the quality as very healthy, and this is not only true in the economic areas, but also, more and more of the other areas too. I would like to particularly draw your attention to the field of cooperation in the areas of education and science. There is already a beginning phase but we intend to further broaden our cooperation here. I very much think that the timing to come here now, to choose this place, was well-chosen. Firstly, we obviously thought it would not make sense that during the time of SARS, politicians stop conferencing with one another, stop consulting one another. It was not the message we want to send and that is not what we think. We have in fact reduced the size of our delegation, we have come with a somewhat leaner team than originally intended, but that was very much understood over here. But we certainly wanted to come to make sure that we were not sending the wrong type of signal at the worst possible point in time. The Prime Minister just said something and he is very right indeed that we, as Germans, see Singapore and the whole of the Southeast Asian region as a very important region indeed. Just to give you one fact and one figure to cement me saying this: if you look at the trade volume we have with this region over here, it does in fact exceed Germany's exports to the United States of America. This shows the kind of economic heavyweight the region already is for us right now.

Prime Minister Goh: Yes, the floor is open for questions.

Q: Chancellor, Sir. Did you have to go through temperature checks when you arrived in Singapore?

Chancellor Schroeder: Only once. It stayed happily green for all of us who were pleased to see not a bit of red inside and I have to say it was actually a very easy and pain-free process to go through. It strikes me as an example of how well things are organised here. I find it perfectly all right and I actually find it more than okay that we, that is to say I and my delegation, are subject to the same form of proceedings and procedures that everybody else has to go through. We do not want any form of preferential treatment whatsoever when it comes to this. So everybody has their temperature taken, everybody went off lightly and easily. It was totally pain-free and to be very honest with you, I was actually rather impressed by the modern way how it worked. I still have some memories from back home in the olden days when I was in bed and having my temperature taken. It was a lot less pleasant then.

Q: Now that Singapore has signed a free trade agreement with the US, does it make it more urgent for Europe to spin its own web of FTAs with Asia?

Chancellor Schroeder: This is a topic that we have actually discussed at length during the meeting, and you know that it is not Germany that is negotiating this, but the Europeans are negotiating this kind of things together as a package. With regard to these matters, we are strongly banking on Doha to come out with a result. Now, obviously on the back of our minds, we are also thinking about potential alternatives. But so far, as Europeans, we stay together and we would ideally like to see a result coming out of the Doha process. Now regarding the question whether there was greater urgency now that Singapore and the US have signed the agreement, they are completely sovereign and independent nations, so it is certainly not up to us, the Germans, to go in and comment on whatever agreement they are signing together.

Q: I am Grace Sung with the Straits Times. I wanted to know how our two countries could broaden relations the Chancellor earlier talked about, perhaps looking at the science and education areas, and give us a little bit more details what you discussed during your meetings.

Prime Minister Goh: Well, we did not discuss bilateral matters. I told the Chancellor that our bilateral relations are excellent. I visited them in year 2000 and we had cemented our relations through many areas of cooperation - science, technology, research development, education, culture, political in terms of exchanging visits. So we did not spend time on bilateral relations at this meeting. It was unnecessary for us to delve into bilateral relations. They are very good.

Chancellor Schroeder: I agree.

Q: Chancellor, Sir. There have been growing calls in the EU for the resignation of your Finance Minister. What is your response to that?

Chancellor Schroeder: Well, I have to say I wasn't aware of such reactions existing across Europe as you are obviously saying. I can only tell you that I think I have a great Finance Minister back home and that I always got the impression that he is very much a man of common sense and that he has a common sense approach with his fiscal policies. He has got the full support of the Cabinet. He has got my full support as well, not just the Cabinet but mine too.

Prime Minister Goh: One last question.

Q: There has been a lot of talk about Iraqi debt and that Iraq still owes you about US$4 billion dollars. When do you hope to get this money back?

Chancellor Schroeder: This is actually a question that we shall not be discussing nor deciding ourselves because any such debt matters are regulated by the so-called Paris Club, as you probably know. They will see to the payment of debts in different areas and that would also affect Iraq. We will leave it to them to determine what happens.

Prime Minister Goh: Thank you.

. . . . . .