Speeches

American Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner

Remarks by Ambassador Franklin Lavin

September 10, 2005

So. We meet again.

Thank you Amy, Nick, and Steve for organizing this wonderful dinner.

I would also like to thank our sponsors this evening, especially Boeing, DHL, and Motorola and the donors who have contributed to the auction.

Ann and I are delighted to be here this year, for what should prove to be my final AmCham annual dinner. Truly. At least as U.S. Ambassador. This is a bittersweet moment. This completes a circle for me, from my days when I worked here in banking and served as a member of AmCham, to working with and supporting the Chamber as Ambassador. I am privileged to be the only U.S. Ambassador to Singapore to have worked in Singapore and this experience has been a source of strength for me in my current position.

Over the course of my tour, I’ve worked with four great AmCham chairs. Besides Amy, we’ve had the leadership of Bill Byrne, Landis Hicks, and Kristen Paulson. We’ve worked together to make sure the business community had a voice, or to lend a helping hand with the Corporate Community Day, or in business missions to Indonesia, China and India.

So service as an ambassador can encompass a range of tasks and duties. Some days you might be working on matters of high policy. Other days you might be closer to a trained mule at the county fair.

Let me offer some comments that are neither purely policy nor, I hope, merely symbolic, but reflections on the past four years.

When I was confirmed as Ambassador, I knew that we’d be working hard on business here in Singapore. I didn’t anticipate just how difficult circumstances would be. We have had the challenges of SARS, the economic downturn, and most seriously over the long run, the challenge of terrorism.

I presented my diplomatic credentials to President Nathan four years ago today, just a few hours before 9/11. Just a few weeks before, I had my call on President Bush for my final instructions before going to post. He told me that the safety and well being of Americans was my top priority. The United States and Singapore have remained safe from terrorist attacks over these four years, but we must remember this is not from want of the terrorists trying.

We have had our mettle tested. We will continue to be tested. We live in an era of challenges. The business world is not without risk, nor is the political world. The only way to avoid risk is to cease all activity. If the United States is going to show leadership in the world, if we believe we have a special role to play, that means making decisions and being willing to accept criticism. We should always be mindful of public opinion, but if our only goal is to please others, that’s not leading, that’s following.

The question we have to ask ourselves in political life is the same question we ask ourselves in business: not how much criticism is there, but are we doing the right thing? We want to live in a world of peace and human rights, in which economies have the chance to grow. But we are only going to get there if we are willing to defend what we have built and help other societies move the same way.

I’m bullish about these challenges because I believe that people the world over seek the same blessings we enjoy, and that despite the terrorists’ ability to cause damage and destruction, they are supported by only small numbers of misguided people.

I have a very simple view of foreign policy: we – America and Singapore – we’re the “good guys.” This doesn’t mean that other countries are the “bad guys.” And it doesn’t mean that we are always right, because we make our share of mistakes. Nor does it mean we don’t need to listen to others. We do. Or that we don’t need friends. We want all the friends we can get. What it does mean is that America has much in common with Singapore, in approach to problems such as terrorism, SARS and the tsunami, and in our framework for our citizens. We both know that a pluralistic, inclusive, peaceful society is the best way to ensure a better life for our citizens. It is also the best formula for economic prosperity, and it is no surprise that American businesses are thriving in Singapore.

The U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement exemplifies this philosophy. It is good for workers, consumers, and businesses in both nations. I hesitate to ruin a perfectly nice evening with some economic statistics, but here are a few. We’ve seen an 18 percent increase in U.S. exports to Singapore in 2004, and an additional 9% increase in our run rate this year. This is about a 30% growth over two years, making Singapore as large an export market as France or Taiwan. Folks, I know many of the businesses in the room and if you hit a 30% growth over two years, you are up for a promotion. And that might just about be what happened to me.

The point is this: there are opportunities in front of us. The doors to commerce are open. I’m bullish on the future of American involvement in Singapore and I’m particularly bullish on our business prospects.

I began my remarks by referencing the anniversary today of my presentation of credentials, and the anniversary tomorrow of 9/11.

There is another anniversary coming up in a few weeks. As I have tackled my four years in this office, there is one person who has been with me every step of the way, who has been my one-person focus group, my chief of staff, my strategist, my director of public relations, my greatest fan and, at select moments, my greatest critic: my wife Ann. Let me ask Ann to come up to the podium for a moment. In a few weeks, Ann and I will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.

And I understand that the American Chamber has a special presentation for Ann.

The toughest job in an embassy is the job of ambassador’s spouse. And you might imagine that some ambassadors are more of a joy to live with than others. Suffice it to say that some of the decision-making skills and forcefulness that make for effective applied diplomacy are not always conducive to a congenial household. Ann has had all of the work and none of the glory over the past four years.

Ladies and gentlemen, it has been a joy for Ann and me to get to know and to work with the splendid people in this room. The American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore has a lot to be proud of. I share that pride. The time for our departure is drawing near. In fact I leave tonight for Washington – not permanently – but to start the nomination process. Sometimes in life we move on in our jobs, but that does not mean that we move on in our friendships. Ann and I will carry you in our hearts wherever we may be. I suspect in the future our paths will continue to cross and I will continue to have George Ruffner on the phone contacting me with a matter of great urgency. Thank you all for your support and for your friendship.