Transcript of the Press Conference with Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Karel Schwazenberg, 11 April 2008

Minister Schwazenberg: I am very glad that this meeting could take place. Perhaps you may not know but this is a historical occasion indeed, because this is the first visit by a Singapore Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Czech Republic, and it is very good that after long decades this has been possible. We have known one another for a very long time so we had an open debate indeed. We had debated issues relevant to Southeast Asia, and also relevant to the EU. We have focused in particular on future cooperation and we have found issues of common interest for both our countries.

You may perhaps know that a short time ago, Professor Pačes, who heads Czech Academy of Sciences visited Singapore and there was an agreement on the future cooperation of the scientific research institutes of the Czech Republic and Singapore. Another topic of common interest is the issue of environmental protection, and in particular the fight against greenhouse gases and climate change. This is in particular more relevant to Singapore being an island-state, so we could cooperate on that area as well. I recently participated in a conference in Singapore and it was a very positive event. We debated issues on ASEAN countries and close cooperation with the EU. Also discussed were issues on China and the developments there. I know that the Foreign Minister of Singapore has been in office for a long time so I learnt a lot from his wealth of experience and knowledge.

Minister Yeo: First, I would like to thank my good friend, Minister Karel Schwazenberg for being the perfect host. We had an excellent meeting this morning followed by lunch, and we leave the Foreign Ministry this afternoon with the warmest feelings for this wonderful country, and we look forward to an improving relationship. I came here via Bratislava, and before that I was in Vienna, and it is truly unbelievable how a region once so divided hitherto should be now restored to its proper place in the heart of a united Europe. It is so obvious, yet so remarkable that one can just drive from one country to the other, crossing bridges and borders without restriction. And with this new positioning, Central Europe will again resume its historical position and must therefore become for a valuable partner Singapore in the coming decade. We have a good relationship. It is a problem-free relationship, but it is not a substantial relationship.

Looking ahead, there are golden opportunities. The economic opportunities for trade and investment are obvious, and should be rapidly developed. There should also be a habit of consultation and sharing between our intellectual communities, particularly in the area of science and technology. We are delighted that we had a very important visit recently to Singapore, and Minister Schwazenberg and I talked about how the two countries can work together in this area for the future. You have a very rich intellectual tradition here. I had the benefit of visiting the Norbertine monastery this morning to be shown by a monk around the library with its ancient collection of priceless books. For me, this being my first visit to the Czech Republic, it is a wonderful voyage of discovery. Many Singaporeans can only profit by visiting your country and seeing the heritage that you have, and exploring opportunities that are possible for the future.

Yesterday, I had a very good meeting with your Prime Minister, and I extended an invitation by my Prime Minister to him to visit Singapore. I hope that on one of his voyages to the East, he can find a bit of time to visit us in Singapore and to take the relationship a step further. On all the other issues like the framework agreement which Minister Schwazenberg has said, I would be very happy, together with him, to answer any questions which you may have.

Q: I would like to ask about your discussion on the Burma issue. Have you reached any specific conclusion or agreement on how you will proceed on this issue? And the second question also on Burma, Singapore is often criticised by Human Rights activists for being too tolerant of the Burmese leaders who visit Singapore very often, for example, for medical treatment, so have you touched on this issue as well and what were your conclusions?

Minister Yeo: Yes, indeed we spent a fair amount of time discussing the situation in Myanmar and some of the developments have taken place ever since. Next month, there will be a referendum which unfortunately is not supported by the main opposition party, the NLD, and the plan is that if the referendum is passed by a majority vote, for that elections the constitution will be declared in 2010. It will not be a constitution which will be to the liking of the many of us. The military will continue to have a strong role to play. We believe that it is a necessity, because while the military is part of the problem today, it has to be part of the solution tomorrow. ASEAN considers Myanmar to be part of the family, maybe an awkward member of the family but still a member of the family, and we will, from that perspective, always view Myanmar differently from the way outsiders view Myanmar. We are also cognisant of the fact that Myanmar is a buffer state between China and India, both of who had profound strategic interests in the country. The best way to avoid Myanmar from being an arena of contest between these two big countries is to keep it within the ASEAN family. This, I believe, is in the interest of Europe; it is in the interest of America, and it is in the interest of China and India as well. So from that perspective, our continued engagement of Myanmar may not be viewed with favour by some of our European friends, but it is a matter of absolute necessity and one which serves a our long-term interest in the region, and which I believe will also serve European long-term interests in the region.

Minister Schwazenberg: We have debated this issue in-depth indeed, however our viewpoints tend to differ slightly. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Singapore has perhaps great expectations of the constitution et cetera and his view is that it may be relevant to a particular type of democracy, but I responded that it is a strange kind of autocracy in my point of view.

Q: In the context of Human Rights, I was just wondering if you debated the situation in China. In that respect, I would like to ask the Singaporean Minister to give his view on that.

Minister Yeo: Minister Schwazenberg and I spent a lot of time talking about China. He himself is a student of Chinese history and knows a lot about the conditions in that country. China is a growing power, and one which is developing at a speed unseen and unmatched before in its history. There are a lot of problems in that country like problems of organisation and pollution, along with changes taking place. There will be political changes as well. We discussed the Olympic Games and Tibet, and Minister Schwazenberg informed me of the very principled and strong position he took recently. I explained Singapore's own position, which is that the Olympics should not be politicised. When the ancient Greeks had their games, even when they were fighting, they put down their arms in order to meet on the playing field and in the arena for sports. That is the essence and the spirit of the Olympic Games, which should be respected according to its origins. We discussed the grievances the Tibetan people may have, but whether this should justify violence is a separate matter. Singapore's position on this is clear, that we support the Chinese protecting life and property against violence with the minimum use of force. That is our open position. We oppose the politicisation of the Olympics, but at the same time, we know for a fact that the Chinese Prime Minister has said that he is prepared to have dialogue with the Dalai Lama on the basis of "One China" and the renunciation of violence.

Minister Schwazenberg: If I may say a couple of lines to the journalists on my position on this issue, which is quite clear. (inaudible) I would just like to say that I firmly support Human Rights, however in this case, I do acknowledge that my Singaporean counterpart is closer to China and knows the Chinese, so indeed with great interest I listened to his views and I found them extremely interesting. I believe that the inability of China to be more open to debate with the Dalai Lama and work with all counterparts is wrong, but both of us are united in the hope that China will in the future make progress and will promote an open society that will move towards democracy.

Q: Regarding the Czech Minister's stance on this issue, I was wondering if you were going to initiate a debate about this in the EU, and whether perhaps there should be a joint stance on this in the EU.

Minister Schwazenberg: I am convinced that at the next meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, this issue will be debated in great depth. However, I do not think that there will be a joint position taken by the EU. I note that in this discussion, some Ministers of Foreign Affairs like the French Minister have shared my position, but opinions differ widely so perhaps there will not be a joint statement and how we respond to Beijing on the events is up to each and every member state to decide. So I'm not going to order anything, but will just be open to expressing my opinions.

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