By Clement Tan | March 24, 2025 | The Straits Times
BRUSSELS – Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde received President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his spouse, Mrs Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam, at the Royal Palace on March 24, marking the start of the first state visit by a Singaporean leader since bilateral relations were established nearly 59 years ago.
Arriving in a Mercedes-Benz car at the front plaza of the palace, flanked by members of the Belgian Royal Escort on horses and motorcycles, Mr Tharman inspected the military guard of honour before being ushered into the palace.
He also took part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, built in memory of Belgian soldiers who died during World War I, and met Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever.
President Tharman and Mr De Wever reaffirmed the longstanding ties between Singapore and Belgium, and discussed the strengthening of collaboration in areas such as maritime, innovation and sustainability.
They also had good discussions on regional and global developments, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said.
Both leaders also welcomed the growing cooperation between the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, including the signing of an agreement to advance maritime digitalisation and decarbonisation.
Mr Tharman also visited the Federal Parliament and met Speaker of the House of Representatives Peter De Roover and Senate President Vincent Blondel.
They discussed the importance of countries, including Singapore and Belgium, upholding multilateralism to respond more effectively to global challenges such as climate change, MFA added.
The Belgian royal couple rounded out the first day of the state visit by hosting the President and his entourage to a state banquet at Laeken Castle.
Over the next two days, Mr Tharman will visit the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Flanders, Europe’s second-largest port by cargo and container tonnage and where Singapore-based global port operator PSA has its largest overseas presence.
He will also visit the Universite Catholique De Louvain and the headquarters of medical solutions and technology provider Ion Beam Applications International in Louvain-la-Neuve, Wallonia.
Mr Tharman will engage Belgian non-profit organisations working on youth empowerment and social inclusion, as well as Belgian business leaders from various sectors, including nano-electronics, biosciences, renewable energy and finance, at two separate round-table discussions.
Belgium and Singapore have extensive trade and investment links since diplomatic relations were established in October 1966.
At a time of rising discord in the world, Mr Tharman’s state visit points to not only the strength of Belgium-Singapore bilateral ties, but also the crucial roles that small states can play in working together to uphold the international order.
The President’s three-day state visit to Belgium will be followed by a two-day state visit to neighbouring Luxembourg.
“Luxembourg and Belgium are small countries like us. The Netherlands is also a small country. But it has to be remembered that these were three countries out of the six that originally formed the European Union,” Mr Tharman told a gathering of Singaporeans based in all three countries on March 23.
“We may be small, but when we work together, and work together with larger countries as well, to try to find common ground and build consensus, we are playing a not insignificant role – in keeping multilateralism alive, adapting it for new times, but really, making sure that this doesn’t ever become a world in which might is right and only the most powerful decide on the future,” he added.
“We have to be at the table as small nations because we add something. And that’s our thinking when we meet our friends in Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, and all the other small countries – we know we can add something.”
A date with Singaporeans
President Tharman was speaking at his first engagement in Brussels ahead of the start of the state visit – an afternoon reception on March 23 with overseas Singaporeans.
This spring reception is one of two the Singapore Embassy in Brussels typically organises every year.
With the Brussels embassy also serving the Benelux region, scores of attendees usually travel from the Netherlands and Luxembourg with their partners and families for the opportunity to connect with fellow Singaporeans.
“Meeting with Singaporeans is always very worthwhile,” Mr Tharman told the crowd of about 150.
“Listening to their different experiences and being able to take something back to Singapore when we go home – about life here, about what you are doing as Singaporeans to add to the societies you’re in, and some of your ideas about Singapore, which we should also take back,” he added.
Whether for those who have lived decades outside the Republic, or for more recent arrivals, food is inevitably a big draw at these receptions organised regularly by Singapore missions all around the world in a bid to stay connected with citizens living abroad.
“Events like this help curb my homesickness with the food,” said Ms A.Q. Tan, a graduate student in her late 20s. She moved to Ottignies, a Belgian city about 30km south of Brussels, in 2022 to be with her partner, Henri.
The menu on March 23 included nonya mixed vegetables stew, pandan cake and ondeh-ondeh.
These events have become an important part of the social calendar for Ms Tan and other overseas Singaporeans.
“Singapore is very small, so we can meet each other very easily, but it’s not the case if we live here and in different cities,” Ms Monica Devi Lim, who is in her 40s and has lived in Belgium for more than two decades, told The Straits Times.
“Events like this, though, create the space to meet other Singaporeans, for us to catch up and make new friends,” said Ms Lim, who commutes between her home in the university town of Louvain and Brussels, where she works in communications.
Mr Michael Wang, a Singaporean film educator in his 40s, made the two-hour drive to Brussels with his family right after his daughter’s Sunday football game.
“We didn’t know what to expect; this is our first time,” said Mr Wang, who moved to Luxembourg in July 2023 with his wife, Elizabeth, a pilates instructor, and their two teenage children, Liam and Myra.
“This is a chance for the children to meet our President,” he said.
This story was first published at StraitsTimes.com.