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Myanmar an old friend, important partner of S’pore: PM

NAYPYIDAW — Ties with Myanmar go back a long way, with the Republic having “walked alongside” Myanmar in its transition to a democracy in the last decade, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday (June 7).

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong smiles as he speaks with Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi during a meeting in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, on June 7, 2016. Photo: Pool via AP

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong smiles as he speaks with Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi during a meeting in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, on June 7, 2016. Photo: Pool via AP

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NAYPYIDAW — Ties with Myanmar go back a long way, with the Republic having “walked alongside” Myanmar in its transition to a democracy in the last decade, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday (June 7).

Both countries share not only a colonial heritage, but also the same urban planner — Dr William Montgomerie, a British surgeon by training who was appointed by Sir Stamford Raffles to help plan the growing city of Singapore.

Speaking during his toast speech at a dinner hosted by President U Htin Kyaw, Mr Lee, who is on an official visit to Myanmar, said: “It’s been nearly 200 years but our peoples have kept up the links and we have grown closer together.”

Noting the “sizeable” community of about 200,000 Myanmar citizens either studying or working in Singapore, he said: “Myanmar is not only an old friend but also an important partner for us. Over the last decade, during Myanmar’s transition to democracy, we have walked alongside Myanmar…lending a helping hand from time to time.”

Letting on that Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, now Myanmar’s Union Minister for Foreign Affairs, had asked to study the way Singapore builds and operates hawker centres, Mr Lee said he was “happy” that Singapore has something “relevant to share”.

“I look forward to welcoming Yangon Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein to come to Singapore to try our hawker food and see our hawker centres. Because I think he plans to build some hawker centres like that in Myanmar,” he added.

Mr Lee’s visit to Myanmar, which coincides with 50 years of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Myanmar, and is his first since 2014, kicked off on Tuesday with a welcome ceremony, followed by meetings with Mr Htin Kyaw and Ms Suu Kyi.

 

Mr Lee congratulated them both on their success in Myanmar’s historic elections last year. The leaders also discussed ways to strengthen economic ties through updating the Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement as well as working towards starting discussions on a Bilateral Investment Treaty. There was also an exchange of views of how tourist flows between both countries could be strengthened through more air links.

In his speech at the dinner, Mr Lee also spoke of how Singapore had helped when Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar in 2008, by sending relief and reconstruction aid to the victims.

The two countries also worked together to set up the Singapore-Myanmar Vocational Training Institute (SMVTI) in Yangon, which supports vocational training in practical and employable skills for Myanmar youth. Described by Mr Lee as a “flagship project”, it will be launched on Thursday (May 9).

Singapore will sponsor top SMVTI students for short-term internship programmes in Singapore, and run Train-the-Trainer programmes, said Mr Lee. “So that we will not only help to produce the next generation of skilled workers in the institute, but also a new generation of technical and vocational educators for Myanmar.”

Mr Lee also expressed pride that several top civil servants in Myanmar are alumni of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Policy. “I am very happy to be here back in Naypyidaw again to see that Myanmar is progressing in its political development and economic construction. We wish you well and we look forward to continuing to be of help in a modest way,” he said.

On Wednesday, he will meet with more officials, including Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Min Aung Hlaing, and former President U Thein Sein. Later in the day, he will travel to Yangon, where he will meet about 100 Singaporeans at a reception.

 

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