Welcome to the page of the State Visit to Singapore

Let me start by thanking you, Mr President, in my name and that of my Wife and the Entourage that accompanies me, for this honourable invitation to visit Singapore, the first by a Portuguese Head of State, as well as for the warm reception with which we were greeted.

This visit to Singapore is a clear sign of the importance we attach to our relations and expresses a firm desire to deepen the ties that bind us, for the mutual benefit of our two countries.

I cannot but recall that it was under the impulse of the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union that, in 2007, the 30th Anniversary Commemorative Summit of the Relations between the European Union and ASEAN took place. The High-Level meetings which took place at that time inaugurated a new era, which includes my visit, in our bilateral relations.

The Portuguese have a deep admiration for and curiosity about Asia, its culture, its peoples and its traditions. An admiration upheld by a century-old coexistence that marks our identity and continues to influence decisively the way we see our present world.

The Portuguese presence in Singapore dates back many centuries. Since the time of its foundation that records exist of the presence of the Portuguese, who, later on, founded the first catholic mission in Singapore, the São José Church, which was under Portuguese ecclesiastical jurisdiction until 1981.

Mr President,
Portugal and Singapore have much more in common than it may seem at first glance. Both countries have a geographic position amidst several seas and oceans and are at the centre of privileged routes of international trade.

Portugal is situated among three continents – Europe, Africa and America. And, with the opening, in 2014, of the new Panama Canal, Portugal will become the European country that is closest to this part of Asia.

The Port of Singapore, which I visited today, understood Portugal’s geographical significance and already runs a container terminal in the Port of Sines. We can go further in this partnership and we would very much like to see Singapore strengthen its presence in Portugal.

I realise that Singapore is the door to Asia. And the economic miracle that we witness here is an example we analyse with much interest.

Stressing on political stability, legislative predictability, training of human resources and social harmony, Singapore is an inspiring example of a country that was able to take full advantage of its specific geographic location.

Mr President,
My visit to Singapore features not only a political dimension but also a strong economic one. I am here with a significant group of Portuguese entrepreneurs.

The challenge is, for both countries, to ensure that the strengthening of the political relationship is also matched by a deepening of our relations in the economic, entrepreneurial, scientific and cultural fields.

In the last few years, Portuguese enterprises have developed skills in important strategic fields and have been acquiring a growing international projection. Some of these enterprises are already in Singapore, where, in fact, a Portuguese Entrepreneurial Council has been recently created.

The Economic Forum which today I had the honour of closing was an excellent occasion for entrepreneurs and investors of both countries to know one another better and deepen their cooperation.

Mr. President,
One of the main purposes of my visit is, without a doubt, to contribute to the building of a relationship geared to the future between Portugal and Singapore.

It is with such conviction that I ask everyone to join me in a toast to the health and prosperity of President Tony Yam and Madame Mary Kiang, to the friendly People of Singapore, as well as to the friendship of our two countries and the future of our relationship.