King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden visits Singapore Navy Museum, attends business forum on day two of 3-day state visit

On the second day of his visit to Singapore on Wednesday, November 20, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden visited the Singapore Navy Museum and attended a business forum. He was received by Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral Sean Wat. During his visit, the Swedish monarch was also briefed on the close defence cooperation between the two countries. The King was accompanied by were Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenegard, and Ambassador of Sweden to Singapore Anders Sjöberg, the Non-Resident Ambassador of Singapore to Sweden Andrew Kwan, Commander Maritime Training and Doctrine Command Colonel Rinson Chua, and senior officials from Singapore and Sweden.

King Carl XVI Gustaf is in the city-state for a three-day visit which commenced on November 19.

“The visit to the Singapore Navy Museum and interactions with the Ministry of Defence underscore the friendly and long-standing bilateral defence relations between Singapore and Sweden,” an official statement from Singapore’s Ministry of Defence read.

“The Republic of Singapore Navy and the Royal Swedish Navy have established strong and long-standing cooperation, particularly in the areas of submarine and mine countermeasures operations. Beyond technical cooperation, both the Singapore Armed Forces and the Swedish Armed Forces also interact regularly through a wide range of professional exchanges, visits, exercises, and cross-attendance of courses,” it said.

On Wednesday, King Gustaf also attended the Singapore-Sweden Royal Business Forum at the Fullerton Hotel.

“There is a clear foundation for Singapore and Sweden to build upon. Our trade and business ties are already well-established, with over 300 Swedish companies operating in Singapore and substantial trade flowing in both directions,” he said.

“With a shared commitment to science and technology, Singapore and Sweden rank among the world’s top five most innovative countries. Our connections extend beyond industry, linking our researchers with academic institutions as well.

“Sweden aims to be a trusted, long-term partner to Singapore in areas like energy transition, sustainable transportation, life sciences and defence. Our partnerships can drive solutions to both current and future challenges.

“By strengthening the collaboration between Singapore and Sweden, we can create meaningful progress and shared success. We look forward to deepening our ties and exploring new business opportunities together,” he added.

So far, the Swedish King has had a busy schedule.

On Tuesday, he received a ceremonial welcome and called on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the Parliament House. Speaking at the state banquet, King Gustaf thanked the President for the generous invitation and also spoke about the absence of his queen consort.

Idag inleds det svenska statsbesöket! HM Konungen välkomnas av @Tharman_S. 🇸🇪🇸🇬

Med på statsbesöket är @MariaStenergard och @andreas_carlson för att ytterligare fördjupa Sverige och Singapores goda relationer, genom fler samarbeten inom den gröna omställningen och… pic.twitter.com/NtI6trO5ld

— Utrikesdepartementet (@Utrikesdep) November 19, 2024

“Her Majesty the Queen and I were truly delighted by your generous invitation to come to Singapore. Unfortunately, Her Majesty the Queen has come down with a severe cold and is not able to attend this state visit, but she sends her warmest regards,” the Swedish monarch said.

“This is the first state visit between our countries, reflecting our shared commitment to further strengthening our partnership. The importance of this visit is underscored by the presence of ministers, state secretaries, universities, government agencies, and companies who are joining us,” he added.

Sharing his thoughts, President Shanmugaratnam said: “Singapore and Sweden are geographically distant, but we share many similarities: a. We are staunch advocates of multilateralism and a rules-based international order; b. We both seek to constantly innovate and to do well by keeping our economies open; c. Importantly, we are determined to work towards a better tomorrow for our people and the world.”

“We are also partners in many areas, from defence to research and development in various fields, and to education and culture. But our economic ties are especially strong. More than 500 Swedish companies are in Singapore, and many use us as a base for their regional operations. The large business delegation accompanying Your Majesty underlines the point,” he added.

King Gustaf also attended an orchid-naming ceremony on Tuesday, during which a new orchid hybrid King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden was named in his honour.

He also met former Singapore Prime Minister and current Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Sharing a picture from their meeting, the SM posted on Facebook: “Honoured to host His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden to lunch today during his first State Visit to Singapore.

“Our countries enjoy a strong and multifaceted partnership, especially in defence technology, research and innovation, and education. We exchanged views on international developments and our countries’ approaches to similar challenges, for example in defence and healthcare. I look forward to strengthening our bilateral relationship, and wish His Majesty a productive stay in Singapore!”