Remarks by Ambassador Lavin at U.S. Embassy Ceremony

August 1, 2003

Ambassador-at-large Tommy Koh, Ms. Kristin Paulson, Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, Mr. Barry Desker, Vice Chairman of the Singapore Business Federation, friends, and colleagues,

Thank you so much for coming out here this afternoon. It is an honor to welcome you to the Embassy.

We are here today to celebrate approval of the US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement by the U.S. Congress on July 31. Just a few hours ago, which was Thursday night Washington time, the United States Senate passed HR 2739, following similar action by the House of Representatives last week. This completes the Congressional ratification process, and allows President Bush to sign the legislation into law. That in turn will allow the FTA to enter into force on January 1, 2004 as planned.

The US-Singapore FTA will be an important step ahead for both our countries. Its success is due to the vision and leadership of two trade ministers -- George Yeo and Bob Zoellick -- and to the tireless efforts of negotiators, many of whom are in the room with us today. I particularly want to single out the two lead negotiators -- Singapore's Tommy Koh and USTR's Ralph Ives. Thank you, Tommy. If it had not been for your persistence, your patience, and your creativity, I don’t think the negotiations would have been such a success.

And as we celebrate this achievement, let's keep in mind that although this is the end of one process, it is the beginning of another process. The US-Singapore FTA enhances an already strong political, strategic, and economic relationship between our two countries. The U.S. has a deep interest in Singapore's prosperity, and U.S. prosperity is, of course, critical to Singapore's own economic vibrancy. In the months ahead, we will be working to ensure that companies in the United States take a fresh look at Singapore and Southeast Asia. The timing is fortuitous -- the economic picture is improving, corporate earnings in the U.S. are up, and companies are looking ahead with greater optimism.

At the end of the day, what the FTA represents is much more than just greater market access, higher standard IPR protections, etc. What it represents is, perhaps more than anything else, a strong endorsement from the United States. Over the coming weeks and months, American businesses are going to realize what Singaporeans already know: that Singapore is open for business and poised for growth.

So, thank you again for coming, and I'd like to invite Ambassador Koh to say a few words.

Thanks.