Multilateralism, international rule of law valuable to both Singapore, Europe: President Tharman

TALLINN, Estonia – Like Singapore, many European countries see the value in multilateralism and upholding international law in a world where these principles are being challenged, said President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on June 26.

Being like-minded in this way is why these countries see value in a relationship with Singapore, and why the nation should stay closely engaged with them, he added.

Mr Tharman said this thread came through strongly during his recent visits to Italy, Finland and Estonia, where heads of state expressed appreciation for Singapore’s perspectives, and its stance on the rule of law.

“They value our perspective on global issues, including how the world manages the transition to multipolarity in economic matters, and adjusts to the fact that China and the emerging world are coming up.”

They listen to Singapore’s views, and want to make sure they themselves do not fall into one superpower camp or another, he added. “They see it in their interests to remain closely engaged with all major regions of the world, including China.”

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of his visit to an Estonian music and cultural centre, Mr Tharman noted that multilateralism is not as sturdy as it used to be, and the international rule of law is being challenged.

Singapore has to stay engaged with Europe even as the domestic configuration of power within the region continues to shift in unpredictable ways, he said. He noted that Europe is also tackling very important issues related to economic competitiveness.

“The debate they will have will determine whether they move further to complete their common market, towards a system where companies can develop the scale needed to compete globally, or whether they retain significant sovereignty for their member states,” he said.

Regardless of these shifts, Europe appreciates the need to diversify economic relationships and to avoid ending up in a decoupled world, he added.

Mr Tharman travelled to Italy on June 22 to attend the Group of 30 plenary session and meet Pope Francis. He also attended the Global Commission on the Economics of Water and called on his Italian counterpart, President Sergio Mattarella. After his visit to Italy, Mr Tharman arrived in Estonia on June 25 and was welcomed by his Estonian counterpart Alar Karis, who hosted a banquet in his honour. Mr Tharman also met Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on June 26 that Mr Tharman’s meetings with Mr Karis and Ms Kallas affirmed the growing ties between Singapore and Estonia, including in education, cyber security and the green transition.

They also discussed regional and global developments, including the role played by both Singapore and Estonia as small states standing up for the international rule of law.

On the second day of his visit to the country, Mr Tharman visited an office for Estonian start-ups.

According to the State of European Tech 2022 report, Estonia leads Europe with the highest number of start-ups per capita.

It also has 10 unicorns, including telecommunications application Skype and money-transfer company Wise. A unicorn refers to a privately owned start-up valued at more than US$1 billion (S$1.36 billion).

Mr Tharman said this culture of encouraging start-ups is made possible by staying open to expertise and talent, and making the smallness of Estonia an advantage.

Estonia’s companies and start-ups do not think of its market as domestic, but rather look at the world as their market from the very start, he added.

“They see the world as competition, but at home in Estonia, they cooperate.”

More than 950 companies have been formed by former Skype employees, and they readily exchange lessons and advice, and extend networks to one another to compete globally.

Mr Tharman said: “They cooperate domestically in order to take on the world. That’s a very useful model, one that is working very well for Estonia.”

Estonia is similar to Singapore in the sense that it had to make bold decisions to distinguish itself from others, he said.

“They had to pivot when they left the Soviet Union,” he said. “It wasn’t just a moment of great political import – it was a moment of finding a new basis for survival and pivoting their whole economy and society, looking to Europe, developing new capabilities and distinguishing themselves in the digital sphere.”

Mr Tharman’s delegation included Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Maliki Osman, Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan, and MPs Sitoh Yih Pin and Sharael Taha.