Speech by President of the Republic of Finland Tarja Halonen at the state luncheon at the Istana in Singapore, 20 February 2008

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My husband and I are honoured to be able to pay this state visit to Singapore. I would like to extend my thanks to you, Mr President, for your invitation and for your kind words.

Relations between Singapore and Finland are excellent. I believe that there is interest on both sides in getting to know one another even better and in extending our cooperation.

Singapore and Finland have much in common. In terms of population, we are about the same size. Both countries are advanced information societies, and we both stress the importance of human resources. We have invested in education and training and both countries highlight the role of research and innovation.

Competitiveness of a country and the wellbeing of its people are not by any means mutually exclusive. I firmly believe in the Nordic welfare state model, which combines a dynamic market economy with a strong sense of social responsibility. For example, our education system is founded on the principle of providing learning opportunities for everyone – regardless of where they live, their gender, their financial circumstances or their cultural background or mother tongue. Our Constitution guarantees everyone the right to basic education free of charge.

Finland was once again ranked at the top at the latest OECD’s PISA study concerning the learning skills of 15-year-olds. The fact that the learning results are so good and also that there are only very small differences between schools and pupils in Finland make our education system quite unique.

But educating young people is not enough. The skills and knowledge of older generations must be updated too, and therefore we must focus more on lifelong learning. This is a particularly important challenge for both Singapore and Finland. We are among the countries that will be first to face the changes – caused by the ageing – in working life and in society in general. I believe that there is scope for fruitful cooperation between our two countries in this sector.

There is already a considerable amount of cooperation going on between research institutions in Singapore and Finland, but I feel that there is still further potential to be explored. For example, more researcher exchange could be undertaken.

In addition, Finland and Singapore both have expertise in environmental matters that we could exploit for wider benefit. After all, climate change is a global challenge. International cooperation and commitment to post-2012 solutions is vital. Fortunately, this has now been acknowledged worldwide, and mitigating climate change has become a shared goal. It is important that we invest in renewable energy sources and incorporate technology into global cooperation.

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I am accompanied on this visit by Mr Väyrynen, the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, and an extensive and high-level business delegation. Many Finnish companies have had a presence in Singapore for a long time, and Finnish investment here is increasing. At the moment, there are about 80 Finnish or originally Finnish companies in Singapore. I hope that our mutual trade will continue to increase and that companies in Singapore are willing to get to know Finland better – and as a potential country for investment too.

Singapore is an important partner for the European Union, being the EU’s largest trade partner in the ASEAN region. Achieving a free trade agreement between ASEAN and the Union would be beneficial for the deepening of the interaction between the two regions.

Singapore is an active player in the region. As the current holder of the Presidency of ASEAN, it has led the organization towards a more integrated cooperation in all areas of activity. Signing the ASEAN charter at the November summit was a significant achievement.

Singapore also holds a strong international position. Both Singapore and Finland are active members of the United Nations and support the strengthening of its role. Finland is applying to become a rotating member of the Security Council for 2013 and 2014, and we hope that you could support us in our aspirations.

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Finnish artists frequently visit Singapore, particularly Finnish musicians. Mr. Okko Kamu has been conducting the Singapore Symphony Orchestra a few times a year for more than ten years now. Finnish soloists often perform on the wonderful Esplanade stage. The Alvar Aalto exhibition was organized here last autumn and may mark the beginning of closer cooperation in the areas of architecture and design. Singapore is culturally rich and diverse, and we would like to see more artists from Singapore visiting Finland too.

Mr President,

I would like to propose a toast to your and Mrs Nathan’s very good health, to the happiness and prosperity of the people of Singapore, and to continued close cooperation between our countries