FOREIGN MISSIONS

Mr Simon S C Tay asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether it is timely to establish resident missions in the capitals of Canada and Mexico, in view of our increasing economic and trade links with those countries.

Prof. S. Jayakumar: As a small country with a highly globalised economy, we take the issue of our overseas representation seriously. It is an issue that the Foreign Ministry reviews constantly and carefully.

For Singapore, the key issue for our Foreign Service, in establishing new Missions, is that of human resources. There is a limited talent pool from which we draw our representatives and we have to send our best people overseas to represent Singapore.

This is something we have explained to many of our foreign partners. We have to accept the fact that it will not be possible to open resident Missions in all 189 countries in the world.

We have tried our best to balance our constraints with the need to advance Singapore's interests overseas. Therefore, we have several arrangements to represent our interests overseas, even when we do not have resident Missions. For instance, we have a system of appointing Non-Resident Ambassadors (NRAs). There are now 21 NRAs. These are successful and eminent citizens of Singapore who are based in Singapore but travel to their countries of accreditation regularly. For Mexico, we have had a Non-Resident Ambassador since 1997. As for Canada, our Permanent Representative to New York has been concurrently accredited as our High Commissioner since 1969. We also have a Consulate in Vancouver.

These arrangements, given our limited resources, are working well. Let me stress that the issue of representation overseas is not a static one. Our representation must keep up with changes in the global economy as well as with trends in bilateral trade and economic linkages. If our economic partnership with certain countries strengthens and intensifies, then we will be prepared to review the current arrangements. Indeed, that is the hallmark of Singapore's foreign policy, ie, to be nimble and flexible. Let me assure the Member and the House that my Ministry constantly reviews how we should best represent and protect our interests overseas in all countries, including in Canada and Mexico, which are, as pointed out by the Member, countries with whom our economic and trade links have been increasing.