Dr Vivian Balakrishnan at the Yokoso Japan Reception

SPEECH BY DR. VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN, MINISTER FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, YOUTH AND SPORTS, AND SECOND MINISTER FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, at THE Yokoso Japan RECEPTION, THURSDAY 4 May 2006, 7.00 pm AT THE Four Seasons Hotel

Your Excellency Mr Kazuo Kitagawa, Minister for Land, Infrastructure & Transport, Japan

Your Excellency Mr Taka-aki Kojima, Ambassador of Japan to Singapore

Mr Minoru Nakamura, President of Japan National Tourist Organization

Distinguished guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am pleased to be here this evening. Let me bid a special welcome to our friends who had specially flown in from Japan for this event.

Singapore and Japan enjoy a close relationship fostered through years of political and economic exchanges. Japan was among the first to establish diplomatic relations with Singapore in 1966, a year after our independence. It was an important gesture by Japan for a young, fledgling country without many friends, resources, or international links at that time.

Since our independence, Japanese investments had contributed to our economic growth and development. The signing of the Agreement for a New-Age Economic Partnership between Japan and Singapore in 2002 heralded a new era of economic relations between our countries. Japan is now Singapore’s sixth largest trading partner. Singapore is also Japan’s top investor in Asia in 2004.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Singapore, and aptly, 2006 has been designated as the Year of Japan-Singapore Tourism Exchange. Japan is our fourth largest source market, with close to 600,000 Japanese visiting Singapore last year, while some 94,000 [1] Singaporeans visited Japan.

To commemorate the Japan-Singapore Tourism Exchange Year, the Singapore Food and Culture Festival was launched in Tokyo last month and Dick Lee, Singapore’s talented performer and composer, was appointed as the Tourism Exchange Ambassador. Thanks to the support from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the week-long festival attracted more than 130,000 Japanese visitors. We are also delighted to have the opportunity to host His Majesty, Emperor Akihito and Her Majesty, Empress Michiko in Singapore this June.

I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Japan on the opening of the Japan National Tourist Organization office in Singapore today. This will increase Singaporeans’ awareness of Japan as a tourist destination and encourage more Singaporeans to travel to Japan.

Thank you and have a pleasant evening ahead. 

[1] Source: Japan National Tourist Organisation