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CAIRO: The Middle East is a “complex world”, but Singapore must “continue to spread its wings” and expand its networks in the region, said the President Tony Tan Keng Yam on Wednesday (Nov 2).
Speaking to reporters at the end of a five-day state visit to Egypt, Dr Tan said this includes areas like the economy, training and working together to counter religious extremism.
Being two important maritime nations - with Egypt controlling the Suez Canal and Singapore sitting on a major shipping lane in Southeast Asia - both countries can work closer in areas like port development and water management. The recent opening of Pacific International Line’s logistics centre in Cairo was also one example of how Singapore companies can venture into an important emerging market.
“Singapore has to continue to spread its wings,” Dr Tan said. “Of course our traditional markets will be there - US and Europe, and in Asia, China and India, and particularly in ASEAN - but you cannot just stop there, you have to keep on expanding our networks.”
During his visit, Dr Tan was briefed by Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail and his ministers on the country’s “very bold” economic development plans and reform programmes, whose outcomes he said “may take time” but are "in the right direction".
TENSIONS IN THE REGION
However, Dr Tan acknowledged concerns that tensions in the Middle East might deter businesses or tourists.
“It’s a grave setback to their economic plans,” he said, referring to the current security situation in the region. “Egyptian authorities are doing their best to cope with it. They recognise that it’s a very deep-seated problem here. I think they will take the necessary measures because they have to. There is no choice in the light of the conflicts in the countries around Egypt.”
Dr Tan said Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi was “determined to see the security situation improve”.
“Security is never an easy problem, even for us in Singapore, we have to work at it all the time,” he said. “You can never come a time and say we are totally secure. So I think the government is clear about this; they know they need to reassure the world’s people that Egypt is a safe place to visit, to stay and to work.”
PROMOTING RELIGIOUS HARMONY
Beyond business and bilateral ties, Dr Tan said another key area where both countries can work together is in the fight against religious extremism. This is epitomised in the training and education of many of Singapore’s Muslim leaders at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, one of the centres of Islamic learning in the world.
“I think of course, with regards to interfaith dialogue, we have done a lot,” Dr Tan said. “Egypt has a different society, but they are also committed to building bridges between communities.”
One example of this effort to promote religious harmony in Egypt is the Egyptian Family House initiative. Established in 2011 and co-led by the Grand Imam and Coptic Pope of Egypt, it brings together and encourages dialogue between Muslims and Christians, and for Dr Tan it “typifies the deep commitment Egypt has to advancing religious tolerance”.
President visited the Al-Azhar Observatory during his trip – a centre dedicated to monitoring and refuting extremist messages online in nine languages. He said he hoped Singapore’s Muslim organisations could work closer with Al-Azhar going forward in this area to “put forward the right teachings so that people don’t get confused or go down the wrong path”.
MAKING A MARK IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Dr Tan described Egypt as Singapore’s “oldest friend in the region”, dating back to 1965. Egypt was the first Arab country to recognise Singapore’s independence.
“We remember and are grateful for the support given by Egypt when we were newly independent,” he said. “Singapore does not take its good relations for granted.”
Ultimately, Dr Tan acknowledged that there was some way to go for Singapore in making its mark in the Middle East.
“We don’t know the Middle East as well our neighbours of course,” he said. “So both our businessmen as well as our diplomatic contacts will have to work at it.”
He added he was confident that this exchange of state visits between him and President Al Sisi, who visited Singapore in 2015, “adds impetus to bilateral relations” and “opens up new areas of co-operation”.
“It’s an ongoing dialogue and we’ve to develop that understanding of the Egyptian economy, and the political developments going on there,” he said. “The signs are promising, and they’ve to work at it over the coming years, and I wish them well.”
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news...ead-its-wings-in-the-middle-east/3256308.html
