BEYOND SG

Breakfast with Condi Rice

Having worked with her for a number of years, first as National Security
Advisor, then as Secretary of State, I was happy to meet Condi Rice again
over breakfast this morning.  Always courteous and dignified, she avoided
making any comment that might be construed as being critical of the Obama
Administration.  She has returned to Stanford and is looking forward to
teaching undergrads next year.

 
 

Meeting with Qinghai Party Secretary Qiang Wei

I was delighted to meet Qinghai Party Secretary Qiang Wei (强卫) so soon
after my call on him in Xining in August.  Although it has only a small
population of slightly over 5m (tiny by Chinese standards), the province
covers a large land area and has lots of natural resources.  It is also the
source of the Yellow, Yangtze and Mekong rivers.  With much better
infrastructure and air connectivity, Qinghai is no longer far from
Singapore.  Prospects for tourism development are very good.  I express the
hope that relations between Singapore and Qinghai will grow in the coming
years.

 
 

ASEAN Summit (23 Oct 09)

The day started with the Opening Ceremony and the singing of the ASEAN
Anthem  (Raise our flag, high,sky high; embrace the love in our heart ...).
Later the Leaders launched the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commmission on Human
Rights, which was an achievement.  When we first embarked on this exercise,
no one was sure that we could reach this point.  The newer members had deep
reservations because of the way the human rights issue has been used to
pressure them politically.  Then the Leaders met ASEAN business leaders
over lunch.  The meeting with Civil Society was voluntary; not all
countries were represented.  In the late afternoon, PM had a good bilateral
meeting with Vietnam PM Dung.  PM Abhisit hosted a working dinner during
which various issues were discussed including regional architecture and
connectivity.



Singing of ASEAN Anthem



PM Abhisit Making Address


Cultural Performance



Inauguration Ceremony of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human
Rights



ASEAN Leaders' Informal Dinner

PM Abhisit greeting Minister

Pre-dinner reception







PM's Bilateral Meeting with Vietnamese PM Nguyen Tan Dung

ASEAN Summit at Hua Hin (22 Oct 09)

ASEAN Coordinating Council Meeting

ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Informal Working Dinner

Sri Lanka

On my last day in Sri Lanka, the Government provided me a Mi-17 helicopter
to visit Mannar, Jaffna and Trincomalee.  At Mannar, I was briefed on the
ongoing de-mining work and the repair of the irrigation system.  Mannar has
a system of irrigation tanks which makes it a rice bowl.  I also saw a new
bridge being constructed by the Japanese to Mannar Island which is at one
end of the string of sandbanks connecting Sri Lanka to India across the
Palk Straits.

At historic Jaffna, I visited Jaffna Library and made a donation of books,
Nallur Kandaswamy Temple and an IDP camp.  Coincidentally we were there on
Deepavali which was auspicious.  At the IDP camp, conditions were not bad
but the separation of families must be wrenching.  The Sri Lankan
Government has assured a delegation of Indian MPs which visited recently
that the IDPs would be released to their villages in batches within the
next few months after proper de-mining has been carried out. They would be
given assistance to start life afresh.  But it would take time to overcome
long  years of suspicion and distrust.  Security continues to be taken very
serioiusly.

Trincomalee has a beautiful harbour, almost equal in size to Sydney's.  It
was once a major base for the Royal Navy.  Prima Flour has a huge facility
there which can mill over a million tons of wheat a year.

With the end of the war, the pressing task is national reconciliation.  The
Sri Lankan Government is aware that it has also to win over the trust of
the talented and well-connected Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora.  President
Rajapaksa has repeatedly put emphasis on rebuilding society giving
particular emphasis to education and the learning of English.  There is
much more hope now.

I could sense a strong wish for stronger relations with Singapore.  With
the opening of a new chapter, we should respond positively.

Visit to Mannar

Download IMG_0189

 

Visit to Jaffna

Visit to Jaffna Library

 

Visit to Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil

 

Visit to IDP Camp





Visit to Prima Ceylon Flour Mill

 

Inauguration Ceremony at Tangalle Primary School (16 Oct)

SPEECH  BY MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS GEORGE YEO AT THE INAUGURATION
    CEREMONY  FOR  TANGALLE  PRIMARY  SCHOOL, REWATHA NATIONAL COLLEGE AND
    VIJITHA  CENTRAL  COLLEGE,  AT  TANGALLE  PRIMARY SCHOOL IN HAMBANTOTA
    DISTRICT, SRI LANKA AT 10 AM ON 16 OCTOBER 2009


    Honourable Chamal Rajapaksa
    Minister of Ports and Aviation

    Honourable Kumari Balasuriya
    Governor of Southern Province

    Honourable Mahinda Amaraweera
    Minister of Water Supply

    Principals of Tangalle Primary School,
    Vijitha Central College, and
    Rewatha National College

    Distinguished Guests

    Teachers,  students,  proud  parents,  fellow Singaporeans, ladies and
    gentlemen

    1             I am deeply touched by your very warm welcome. Singapore
    is honoured to be in a position to render some assistance to Sri Lanka
    following the tsunami of 26 December 2004.

    2             This  morning,  we  mark the joint inauguration of three
    upgraded  and  refurbished  schools  - Tangalle Primary School here in
    Hambantota,  Vijitha  Central  College  in Matara and Rewatha National
    College  in  Galle.   In  addition  to  repairs and refurbishment, new
    facilities  have  been  provided.  More  classrooms have been added to
    Tangalle  Primary  School  and  Vijitha  Central  College.  With  more
    classrooms  and  better facilities, the three schools can now enroll a
    total of more than 6,400 students.

    3             The  total  project  cost for the three schools is about
    $5.6  million Singapore dollars or about 460 million Sri Lanka Rupees.
    The  money  was  jointly  donated  by the Singapore Government and the
    Singapore  Red  Cross  Society.   Singaporeans  of different races and
    religions, from all walks of life, contributed through the Tidal Waves
    Asia Fund managed by the Singapore Red Cross Society.

    4             I  would  like  to  take  this  opportunity to thank the
    project  team  from  Singapore  comprising  representatives  from  the
    Singapore Red Cross Society, the Construction Industry Joint Committee
    and staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for all the work they put
    in  to  steer the project and see it to completion.  I would also like
    to  thank  the  Government  of  Sri  Lanka,  the Sri Lanka Ministry of
    Education,  and  the  principals,  staff  and  students  of  the three
    schools, for your cooperation and friendship throughout this period.

    5             I  would  like  to make a special mention of Sri Lanka’s
    Tsunami  Education Rehabilitation Monitor, or TERM. As project manager
    on  the  ground  overseeing  the  upgrading  and  refurbishment of the
    schools,   TERM  worked  closely  with  the  Singapore  project  team,
    providing  timely  and  sound  advice  throughout  the duration of the
    project.   Last  but not least, we thank the two contractors, Nawaloka
    Construction Company and Tharungi Construction and Supplies, for doing
    a  very  professional  job.   Together, the various parties had worked
    hard  to ensure the successful completion of the project, which was on
    schedule,  according to specifications and within budget.  Many of you
    who  laboured  long  and  hard  on  the  project are here today in the
    audience and I thank you personally for your labour of love.

    6             A  school  is  much  more  than  just  the buildings and
    physical  facilities.  What  matter  much  more  are the spirit of the
    school  and its traditions as embodied in the principals, the teachers
    and  the  students.   As  part  of  our continuous engagement with Sri
    Lanka, I am happy to invite the principals of Tangalle Primary School,
    Vijitha  Central College and Rewatha National College to Singapore for
    the   "Leaders  in  Education  Programme".   Participants  under  this
    programme  are  exposed  to various aspects of the Singapore education
    system  and  also various professional training programmes. It is also
    an  opportunity to build bridges of friendship and cooperation between
    our  two countries. I hope that the principals can take time off their
    busy schedules to attend the 10-day course.

    7             In  addition  to  the upgrading and refurbishment of the
    three  schools,  the  Singapore  Government  conducted  two customised
    teacher-training courses under the Singapore Cooperation Programme for
    31  teachers  from  the  three  schools in 2007. We were struck by the
    enthusiasm,  the  dedication and the passion of the teachers.  Because
    of  the success of the programme, I am happy to announce that two more
    courses  in “Enhancing Pedagogy” will be conducted for teachers of the
    three schools who had missed out on the courses conducted earlier.

    8             A  Singapore  book and stationery company called Popular
    Book  Shop  will  soon  be delivering various quantities of roller ink
    pens, pencils, school bags and other stationery items as a donation to
    the students of the three schools.  Seeing the bright eyes and smiling
    faces  of  some  of  the students who greeted us this morning, we from
    Singapore  feel very proud to be able to make a modest contribution to
    their  future.   And  we are delighted to be part of President Mahinda
    Rajapaksa’s  determination  for  the next war, for better education in
    Sri Lanka.

    9             Distinguished  guests, ladies and gentlemen, I hope that
    the  bonds of friendship between the peoples of our two countries will
    continue  to strengthen in the years ahead.  As Sri Lanka steps out of
    the  shadow of the tsunami and the civil war, I wish you every success
    in national reconciliation and the rebuilding of your country.

    10     Thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

Photos: Visit to Sri Lanka (15 Oct 09)

Asia Cooperation Dialogue Opening Ceremony





Call on Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa
 

Reception at Temple Trees (Official Residence of the President)


 

waiting for my 'teh tarik'

Singapore-Thailand Civil Service Cooperation

Minister's speech
  http://www.youtube.com/user/TalleyrandMetternich#p/a/u/1/6jc9E5SO_8U

  Thai FM Kasit's speech
  http://www.youtube.com/user/TalleyrandMetternich#p/a/u/0/EDcXWkms51E

 

Nakagawa Shoichi

I paid  respect to Nakagawa Shoichi  at his Tokyo house today.  In the
condolence book I wrote:

"My wife and I express our deepest condolences to the wife, daughter and
son of Nakagawa Shoichi.  He was a patriot who dedicated his life to the
people of Japan.  I mourn the passing away of an old friend and colleague."

We knew each other as Trade Ministers since 1999 and took the opportunity
to meet whenever we attended  regional and international meeting.  Because
we were about the same age, he suggested we call each other by first names,
which I almost never do for Japanese ministers.  In 2004, my wife and I
hosted him and his wife in Singapore.  In January 2005, I visited his
constituency in Obihiro, Hokkaido.  Because he was busy in Tokyo, his wife
hosted me there and made sure we were warmly clad in the bitter cold as we
watched farmers harvest nagaimo in the thick snow.  I last met him in Tokyo
in May this year when we had breakfast at the Akasaka Palace.  At all our
meetings, I found him to be a thoughtful and serious political leader,
always worrying for his country.

With the defeat of the LDP at the last general elections, many wanted him
to help rebuild the party.   Takeo Hiranuma, who preceded Nakagawa as Trade
Minister, told me that they had recently discussed how to revive the
conservative cause in Japan.

Minister George Yeo's Speech at the Launch of Conservation International Singapore at Fusionopolis