Estonian PM to visit Singapore with business delegation

  • 2023-06-02
  • BNS/TBT Staff

TALLINN - Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas will be in Singapore with a business delegation from Sunday to Tuesday, where she is scheduled to open the Estonian embassy and business hub.

On Sunday, the prime minister will deliver a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, the region's largest security conference, as well as at AsiaTechX Singapore, a prominent technology conference. She will also have a bilateral meeting with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and potential meetings with other ministers participating in the conference.

The significance of Singapore and the wider Southeast Asian region has been growing for Estonia in terms of both political and business connections. Kallas emphasized that Singapore, being a dynamic and innovative small country, shares similarities with Estonia.

"As one of the world's largest logistics and financial centers, the entire region provides an excellent gateway for Estonian companies to enter Asia. Global geopolitical developments also compel us to better understand what is happening in Asia, including for the purpose of explaining the impact of Russian aggression on global security," Kallas said.

The prime minister stressed the importance of Estonia having a stronger presence in Southeast Asia.

"I wish to introduce the Estonian business environment in Singapore, promote Estonia as a highly attractive investment destination, highlight Estonia's digital and cyber success stories, and support Estonian companies in entering the Singaporean and wider Southeast Asian markets," she said.

As part of her visit, the prime minister will open the Estonian embassy in Singapore and the accompanying business hub on Monday.

"The opening of the business center is an important new and innovative support for our entrepreneurs, signaling that the Estonian state is determined and willing to assist our companies in distant markets," Kallas added.

Kallas will also meet with Singapore's President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Additionally, she will visit the company Volocopter and the Tolaram Group, an enterprise of Sonny Aswani, a long-standing honorary consul of Estonia.

On Tuesday, the prime minister will participate in an Estonia-Singapore business seminar, where a cooperation memorandum between the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency and Enterprise Singapore will be signed. She will also speak at the AsiaTechX Singapore technology conference and meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo. Kallas will also participate in a round table meeting with Singaporean investors and major corporations and meet with the CEO of the Singaporean state-owned investment fund Temasek Holdings.

The business delegation accompanying the prime minister includes companies such as Admiral Markets Group AS, Chaga OU/Shroomwell OU, Diamond Sky, Electric Beast Global OU, Estx.io OU, Fiesta Reisid, H2Electro, Laava Tech, Monemon Digital OU, Njord law firm, Nortal AS, SkyCorp, SkySelect OU, Smboya, Trashify Tech, as well as representatives from the Tartu city government and Enterprise Estonia. The business delegation has its own comprehensive program planned in Singapore.