Address by President SR Nathan at State Dinner hosted by President Arroyo at the Malacanang on 13 Feb 07

ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT S R NATHAN AT STATE DINNER HOSTED BY PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO AND FIRST GENTLEMAN ATTORNEY MIGUEL ARROYO, MALACANANG, TUESDAY, 13 FEBRUARY 2007, 1900HRS

Your Excellency, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

Attorney Jose Miguel Arroyo

Excellencies

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

1 My delegation and I are most honoured to be making this State Visit to the Philippines at a time of your leadership. I want to thank you, Madame President, and Attorney Jose Miguel Arroyo, for giving us this honour. My wife and I last met you in August 2001 when you paid a State Visit. I am reminded, as I look at your rich heritage, that this is the land of Jose Rizal, whose ideas and example inspired subsequent generations of nationalists, not only in the Philippines, but all over Asia as well.

2 The Philippines and Singapore have had a long association. We, as a people, have known each other far too well to expect only sentimentality. We have been candid in our interaction. We have both absorbed the influence of various cultures. We were never afraid of the competition from other ideas or influences.

3 Madame President, it has been some time since I last visited your beautiful country. I have heard of the progress that your country has made under your able leadership. I am told that Manila has seen a great deal of transformation. The road between Roxas Boulevard and Manila Bay is said to be bustling with activity. There are many new malls, including the Mall of Asia, which is one of the largest in the world. I hope to be able to take in some of these sights over the next few days. Madame President, this progress reflects your strong leadership and determination to raise the level of economic development in the Philippines, and with it increasing prospects for co-operation.

4 There is potential for further cooperation, especially in the tourism sector. The opening of Clark International Airport to foreign carriers has opened new opportunities for potential investors. The entry of new budget air carriers like Tiger Airways, Jetstar Asia, and Cebu Pacific Air, serving the Singapore-Philippine sector, will provide tourists with more options. Last year, the number of Singapore visitor arrivals in the Philippines was almost 81,000, an increase of 59% from 2005. We can and should do more to increase air links between Singapore and Manila while we have this momentum.

5 Our social and cultural relations have also deepened over the years. I will be opening the Ayala Museum's art exhibition on the "Chinese Diaspora: Art Streams from the Mainland" of which the Peranakan exhibits form an important part. This is a joint effort among the Ayala Museum, the Asian Civilisations Museum of Singapore, and the National University of Singapore Arts Centre. I will also be visiting the Yuchengco Museum to see the traditional egg tempera paintings of the distinguished Filipino artist Anita Magsaysay-Ho, who worked with the Singapore Tyler Print Institute to produce her etchings.

6 These days we have regular high-level exchanges and a growing friendship between our countries and our peoples. Economic relations are strong. Bilateral trade hit a record high of S$17 billion in 2006, a 15.8% increase over the previous year. The Philippines was our 13th largest trading partner while Singapore was your third largest trading partner in 2006. Singapore remains one of the top investors in the Philippines. Among others, the Ascott Group and Ascendas invested S$84 million and S$224 million respectively in the Philippines recently. During this visit, I will be witnessing the ground-breaking ceremony for Ascendas' Net Commercial Development Project at the Fort Bonifacio Global City.

7 I must also congratulate you, Madame President, on the success of the 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu last month, on the theme of a Caring and Sharing ASEAN Community, under your able chairmanship. You skilfully led the discussions among the ASEAN leaders, and between them and the dialogue partners, to reach major decisions. These included bringing forward the establishment of the ASEAN Community to 2015, and endorsing the Eminent Persons' Group report as the basis for drafting the ASEAN Charter.

8 Under your able leadership in Cebu, decisions were taken to help ASEAN meet the challenges posed by globalisation and the changing geostrategic political landscape around our region. The failure of the WTO Doha Round, regional economic integration in the Americas and Europe, as well as competition for investments from new economic giants such as China and India, all demand a robust and positive ASEAN response. Transboundary problems such as Avian Flu, terrorism, and haze pollution cannot be effectively addressed by any one country on its own, and would need to be managed by us in ASEAN collectively.

9 As fellow founding members of ASEAN, we can take comfort that we have fashioned ASEAN in the eyes of others as one of the world's successful regional organisations. We have, over 40 years, avoided armed conflict among ourselves and provided a setting where we are able to peacefully manage any disputes. Constant interactions and a sense of common purpose have helped build mutual confidence at all levels and prevented conflicts. Our Treaty of Amity and Co-operation in South East Asia has drawn endorsement by major powers outside the region.

10 The signing of the landmark Cebu Declaration on the Blueprint of the ASEAN Charter during the 12th ASEAN Summit is a strong signal of the ASEAN leaders' determination to make ASEAN an even more effective organisation. This will give strong impetus for the establishment of the ASEAN Community by 2015. It behoves us to maintain this positive momentum and ensure that the Charter is completed by the end of this year when we commemorate ASEAN's 40th anniversary.

11 Madame President, Singapore will take over the Chairmanship of ASEAN from the Philippines later this year. We look forward to building on the foundation laid by you in Cebu by working closely with you and our other ASEAN colleagues.

12 Even as we focus on strengthening ASEAN, we have continued to reinforce our external linkages as a region and entrenched ASEAN squarely as the core of the regional architecture. Regional processes such as ASEAN+1, ASEAN+3, the East Asia Summit, and the ASEAN Regional Forum have helped to achieve balanced and inclusive relationships within the framework of a global economy.

13 Madame President, with your strong support and leadership, I am confident that we can deepen and strengthen our relations bilaterally as well as within ASEAN. On this note, may I invite all present to rise and join me in a toast:

• To the good health and success of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Attorney Jose Miguel Arroyo;

• To the peace and prosperity of the Philippines; and

• To the friendship between the Philippines and Singapore.

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