© Diana Hoffmann / RTL
President of Singapore Tharman Shanmugaratnam and First Lady Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam began a two-day state visit to Luxembourg on Thursday, highlighting five decades of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The state visit, held at the invitation of the Grand Ducal couple, marks 50 years of diplomatic relations between Luxembourg and Singapore, established on 17 March 1975. The Singaporean delegation includes Transport Minister and Second Minister for Finance Chee Hong Tat and Minister of State Sun Xueling.
President Shanmugaratnam and his wife received an official welcome in front of the Grand Ducal Palace, with military honours, national anthems, and introductions of dignitaries, followed by a private audience with the Grand Ducal couple.
Accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and Army Chief of Staff General Steve Thull, the Singaporean president will later lay a wreath at the National Monument of Luxembourg Solidarity, greeting flag bearers and representatives of various organisations.
In the afternoon, the president will hold meetings with Bettel and Chamber of Deputies President Claude Wiseler. A private lunch at the palace will follow, alongside a working lunch hosted by Bettel with ministers Lex Delles, Gilles Roth, and Léon Gloden.
Afternoon engagements further include an academic session at City Hall, hosted by Mayor Lydie Polfer and with music by the Fortissimo children's choir, followed by a tour of the Mudam contemporary art museum, featuring works by Edward Steichen and Ho Tzu Nyen.
The day concludes with a walk along the Corniche and a gala dinner at the palace hosted by the Grand Ducal couple, attended by Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and his wife, Stéphanie.
Day two
On Friday, President Shanmugaratnam will attend a high-level financial roundtable with Grand Duke Henri and Finance Minister Gilles Roth, focused on sustainable finance and fintech. The delegation will then visit SES headquarters in Betzdorf, where a new quantum communication agreement with SpeQtral will be signed.
At Senningen Castle, President Shanmugaratnam will meet Prime Minister Luc Frieden for a bilateral meeting and official luncheon. The day continues with a visit to the National Fire and Rescue Centre (CNIS), featuring rescue demonstrations and the presentation of Luxembourg’s first electric ambulance. A cooperation agreement between CGDIS and Singapore’s Civil Defence Force will also be signed.
The visit concludes with a departure ceremony in front of the Grand Ducal Palace, where the Grand Ducal couple will bid farewell to the Singaporean delegation.
