The Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium in Singapore celebrated International Museum Day by showcasing Belgium’s rich museum culture and its role in connecting people, art, and ideas across borders.

The Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium in Singapore celebrated International Museum Day on 18 May 2026, with a special visual series highlighting Belgium’s vibrant museum landscape and cultural heritage.

This year’s International Museum Day theme, “Museums Uniting a Divided World,” focuses on the important role museums play in preserving culture and bringing communities together. The embassy noted that museums are more than spaces for exhibitions, as they help connect people, cultures, and ideas from Belgium to Singapore.

One of the featured institutions was the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, also known as KMSKA. The museum continues to promote Belgian artistic heritage through exhibitions and cultural programmes. Its current exhibition, A Red that Sings, celebrates Belgian modernism. The museum also achieved a major milestone in 2025, welcoming more than 570,000 visitors during its third year after reopening.

The embassy also highlighted BRUSK Bruges, a newly opened cultural space in Bruges. BRUSK combines art, architecture, and technology, creating a modern environment for creativity and cultural exchange.

Looking ahead, the future Kanal–Centre Pompidou project in Brussels was presented as another important development in Belgium’s cultural sector. Scheduled to open in November 2026, the museum is expected to become a major centre for modern and contemporary art in Europe.

Through this campaign, Belgium’s embassy in Singapore reaffirmed the importance of museums in strengthening international cultural understanding and promoting artistic collaboration.

Source: Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium in Singapore

An evening of tributes and reflection marks the departure of three ambassadors whose postings in Singapore have strengthened ties with Estonia, Belgium and Jordan.

Singapore, 17 July 2025 — Members of the diplomatic corps, dignitaries, and close friends gathered at Raffles Place to bid farewell to three departing ambassadors: H.E. Priit Turk of Estonia, H.E. Mdm Colette Dominique L. Taquet of Belgium, and H.E. Samer Anton Ayed Naber of Jordan. The reception was hosted at a Pan Pacific Hotels Group restaurant, with Ms Weiling Wee, Executive Director (Asset & Lifestyle), recognised for her support to the diplomatic community.

The evening was opened by H.E. Agustin García-López Loaeza, Dean of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps in Singapore and Ambassador of Mexico. His speech reflected the bittersweet nature of farewells, while honouring the professional and personal contributions of the outgoing diplomats.

Ambassador Priit Turk’s tenure saw the rapid development of Estonia-Singapore relations, underscored by the inauguration of Estonia’s Embassy and Business Hub in June 2023. The event, attended by Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Singapore’s then Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, represented a new chapter in bilateral ties.

Trade between the two countries reached S$177 million in 2022, with a strong annual growth rate. Two key Memoranda of Understanding were signed in 2023, enhancing cooperation in digital services, wellness, and health technology. Estonia’s global standing in e-governance and digital innovation has aligned with Singapore’s Smart Nation goals, with further collaboration visible through Asia Tech and other regional platforms.

The state visit of Estonian President Alar Karis to Singapore in 2024, hosted by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, reaffirmed mutual values in sustainability, youth empowerment, and multilateralism. Ambassador Turk’s posting was a clear reflection of Estonia’s ambitions to deepen ties in Southeast Asia.

Since 2021, Ambassador Colette Taquet has been at the helm of Belgium-Singapore relations. Under her leadership, the partnership expanded significantly in sectors such as maritime cooperation, healthcare innovation, and cultural exchange. Her efforts helped restore direct air links between Brussels and Singapore and enhanced collaboration between PSA International and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.

Ambassador Taquet also promoted scientific cooperation and innovation, particularly in proton therapy and food security. Her role was central in supporting President Tharman’s visit to Belgium, where he was received by Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde — a fitting culmination to her tenure.

Her three-decade diplomatic career, marked by advocacy for sustainable development and European-Asian ties, leaves a legacy of integrity, empathy and global vision.

Ambassador Samer Naber’s time in Singapore was marked by an emphasis on cultural exchange, education, and economic cooperation. Jordan was the first Middle Eastern country to sign a Free Trade Agreement with Singapore in 2004, and ties have since deepened across ICT, smart city development, vocational training, and public health.

Both Jordan and Singapore have consistently advocated multilateralism, interfaith dialogue, and regional stability. The Amman Message and World Interfaith Harmony Week echo Singapore’s own multicultural ethos. During Ambassador Naber’s term, these shared values were further amplified through dialogue, community engagement and people-to-people diplomacy.

As noted during the evening, his contributions reflect not only diplomatic success but also a deep cultural and humanitarian connection between Jordan and Singapore.

The evening concluded with well wishes for the three ambassadors as they embark on new chapters in their diplomatic journeys. The gathering also served as a reminder of how strong personal leadership, underpinned by shared values, continues to drive international cooperation, even as postings change.

Source: IN Diplomacy Reporters

We are pleased to announce today the substantial conclusion of a new Digital Partnership between the EU and Singapore. This Partnership expands the robust EU-Singapore relationship into the digital realm, which has a transformative potential for the future of our economies.

The EU and Singapore share a people-centric vision of digitalisation. To help us realise this vision, the Partnership will advance cooperation on the full range of digital issues, including trade facilitation, trusted data flows and data innovation, digital trust, standards, digital skills for workers, and the digital transformation of businesses and public services. It will facilitate joint efforts to make supply chains more resilient and advance new and emerging areas such as 5G/6G, Artificial Intelligence, and digital identities. 

The EU and Singapore have also agreed on a set of Digital Trade Principles, as a first deliverable of their Digital Partnership. These principles reflect our joint commitment to an open digital economy and provide a common framework to boost digital trade between us and globally. We aim to build on these principles to enact a set of bilateral digital trade rules. We believe that the forward-looking digital trade engagements between the EU and Singapore will complement and support ongoing WTO negotiations to put in place global rules on electronic commerce.

We thank Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, Commissioner Thierry Breton and Minister S Iswaran for their commitment to develop the Digital Partnership and the Digital Trade Principles. With this substantial conclusion, we look forward to their formal signature and launch early next year.

The Digital Partnership builds on long-standing cooperation between the EU and the Singapore on trade, research and technology. At a time of turmoil and change, we are taking another major step to deepen our strategic partnership for the benefit of our citizens, consumers and businesses. The Digital Partnership will also serve as a strategic pathfinder for closer region-to-region digital connectivity.

Read the official press release

We are pleased to announce today the substantial conclusion of a new Digital Partnership between the EU and Singapore. This Partnership expands the robust EU-Singapore relationship into the digital realm, which has a transformative potential for the future of our economies.

The EU and Singapore share a people-centric vision of digitalisation. To help us realise this vision, the Partnership will advance cooperation on the full range of digital issues, including trade facilitation, trusted data flows and data innovation, digital trust, standards, digital skills for workers, and the digital transformation of businesses and public services. It will facilitate joint efforts to make supply chains more resilient and advance new and emerging areas such as 5G/6G, Artificial Intelligence, and digital identities. 

The EU and Singapore have also agreed on a set of Digital Trade Principles, as a first deliverable of their Digital Partnership. These principles reflect our joint commitment to an open digital economy and provide a common framework to boost digital trade between us and globally. We aim to build on these principles to enact a set of bilateral digital trade rules. We believe that the forward-looking digital trade engagements between the EU and Singapore will complement and support ongoing WTO negotiations to put in place global rules on electronic commerce.

We thank Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, Commissioner Thierry Breton and Minister S Iswaran for their commitment to develop the Digital Partnership and the Digital Trade Principles. With this substantial conclusion, we look forward to their formal signature and launch early next year.

The Digital Partnership builds on long-standing cooperation between the EU and the Singapore on trade, research and technology. At a time of turmoil and change, we are taking another major step to deepen our strategic partnership for the benefit of our citizens, consumers and businesses. The Digital Partnership will also serve as a strategic pathfinder for closer region-to-region digital connectivity.

Read the official press release

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will make an official visit to Kiel, Germany from 12 to 13 December 2022. Prime Minister Lee will be accompanied by Mrs Lee Hsien Loong, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, as well as officials from the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defence, and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN).

Prime Minister Lee will meet German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and officiate the launch of two RSN submarines Impeccable and Illustrious on 13 December 2022, with Chancellor Scholz in attendance.

Prime Minister Lee will attend the ASEAN-EU Commemorative Summit on 14 December 2022 in Brussels, Belgium. This is the first ASEAN-EU Summit involving the Leaders of the Member States of ASEAN and of the EU. The Commemorative Summit marks 45 years of ASEAN-EU dialogue relations and is an opportunity for both sides to discuss ways to further deepen ASEAN-EU relations. In Brussels, PM Lee will be accompanied by Mrs Lee, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, as well as officials from the Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During Prime Minister Lee’s absence, Mr Lawrence Wong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, will be the Acting Prime Minister from 12 to 16 December 2022.

PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE SINGAPORE, 11 DECEMBER 2022

2019 Embassy Activities Round-Up

Belgium-Singapore: Working in Tandem with Current Times

Mr Sam Tan, Minister of State, Singapore and HE Andy Detaille, Ambassador of Belgium

��This bilateral relationship has continued to garner benefits from a strong understanding and mutual desires to take on today’s challenges and capitalize on new opportunities

It’s been an eventful year with a flurry of activities: the Embassy kick-started 2019 by issuing the “Belgium Business Report”. The report highlights the strong relationship between Belgium and Singapore. Indeed, Belgium-Singapore business ties are excellent and are set to enhance even further with the imminent entry into force of the EU-Singapore FTA. Currently, Belgium is the city-state’s 5th largest trading partner in the EU while Singapore is our top trading partner in ASEAN.��

Mr Pascal Smet, State Secretary, Brussels-Capital Region calling on Mr Zaqy Mohamad, Minister of State, Singapore

March marked an important milestone in Belgium-Singapore ties: Belgium’s SWIFT jointly launched a trial with the Singapore Exchange (SGX) to use blockchain technology for e-voting during shareholder meetings. SWIFT is a Belgian organisation that owns a platform which connects 11,000+ financial institutions to security firms and corporates in 200+ markets globally.

In the same month, the Embassy teamed up with Alliance Française to bring Belgian Francophone movies to the Lion City. This resulted in the screening of “Nos Batailles”. Meanwhile, the Ambassador opened the Spirou4rights exhibition together with Singaporean actor and comedian, Mr Hossan Leong.��

In April, fellow Belgian and composer, conductor, educator and pianist, Mr Robert Casteels, performed “Time:Crystals” – supported by the Embassy – at the Visual Arts Centre Singapore. One month later, “Le Ciel Flamand”, Belgium’s contribution to the European Film Festival saw a strong turnout. Prior to the screening in the iconic National Gallery, the director was interviewed by The Straits Times. �� ��

Innovfest Unbound Singapore 2019 took place in June: ten Belgian startups rubbed shoulders with potential investors and clients at their pavilion. The high number of visitors indicated a clear interest in Belgian startups.

In August, the Antwerp Police Department signed a MoU with the Singapore Police Force to promote cooperation in the battle against transnational crime.

Rudi Mertens, Edith Mayeux, Zsofia Pales,Vittoria Volgare and HE Andy Detaille, Ambassador of Belgium.

Mr Pascal Smet, State Secretary, Brussels-Capital Region, paid a working visit to the city-state in September. During this visit he met his Singaporean counterparts, as well as various stakeholders to discuss a.o. trade and investment opportunities and bilateral collaborations.��

In October, Singapore’s President Halimah Yacob met with King Philip in Tokyo, Japan. The two Heads of State talked about ways to deepen Belgium-Singapore cooperation.

On November 14 finally, the Ambassador – supported by Katoen Natie, DEME, Solvay, Brussels Airport and BRICS – hosted the King’s Day reception where 400+ guests enjoyed the very best Belgium has to offer in the iconic Victoria Theatre. Singapore’s Minister of State, Mr Sam Tan, graced the event.

Royal Embassy of Belgium

HE Andy Mariette J Detaille, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Singapore shares some of his past experiences and how would like to take bilateral relations between the two nations forward, in a lively discussion with IN Diplomacy editor-in-Chief Mrs Nomita Dhar

Good morning your Excellency and welcome to Singapore and readers of IN Diplomacy. Is this posting also your first visit to Singapore?

I came through Singapore in the 90s en route to Australia and again in 2010, when I spent a couple of days here. In fact, there were several reasons why I actively lobbied to be posted here. Chiefly because I have had many very difficult postings and now that I have small children I wanted a more comfortable place to live. Apart from that, Singapore is also home to the biggest community of Belgians living in Asia. Very important for me is the concentration of Belgian companies in the island republic. There are 220 registered firms doing many exciting things and we support them in their endeavours. We see how Singapore is constantly reinventing itself in order to stay relevant in the future. This is a very exciting environment and I also feel it’s the perfect base from which to visit the other countries in the region.

You mention you had some very difficult postings. Can you share some of those experiences with us?

When I completed my diplomatic training I was sent to Beijing for almost two years. Thereafter, I’ve done postings almost exclusively in the Arab world. A major reason for this is that my wife, an Italian, is a translator of classical Arabic. I also became somewhat of a specialist in that and still intellectually find that region very attractive, if not easy to live in. I’ve been to Damascus (Lebanon), Cairo (Egypt) and Tripoli (Libya) from where we were evacuated. My last posting before I came here, was Kuwait.

As a diplomat how easy or difficult was it for you to live in such places?
Beirut is not such a bad posting, after all people from the region come to holiday there. There are cultural challenges in these countries as they are more conservative. Situations are very diverse. Kuwait, for example, was a big challenge with regards to the climate.

Temperatures can reach 54.6 degrees Centigrade in the shade, 62 under the sun! You have to arrange for your children to live elsewhere for three months as they can’t be outside. In Libya we gradually slid into life-threatening situations such as when the convoy I was travelling in was attacked during the bombing of the French embassy, which was just 500m from the Belgian embassy. My family left and subsequently I too left.

Given situations like these it appears that diplomacy is still very relevant in today’s world.

Yes, things can become very difficult as in the case of Libya, when the state is disintegrating. In such a situation and at a certain moment in time all your high-end diplomatic contacts are not so important as who you know at the local level. I knew the mayor of Tripoli who helped me secure our embassy after that attack on the French. It boils down to such a practical level of who you know at that level, because sometimes at the higher levels they change so quickly and do not stay long enough to make a difference to your situation and what you have to do. In Libya it was just about keeping the embassy going…there was no output. In the end because of the high costs of security we had to close it down. Things came to a head when a militant group kidnapped an Arab diplomat then almost all the embassies closed down.

Now that you’re in Singapore’s more peaceful and progressive environs how are bilateral relations between our two nations?

Excellent! And this is mainly because we have the same strategic outlook. Our exports are higher than our GDP. Both countries have small populations and we both try and make the most of our locations, which are our biggest assets. We are also both strong proponents of multi-lateral deals, free trade, freedom of navigation, liberalisation of trade, rule of law etc; so it’s natural that we have no irritants in our bilateral relations.

Singapore is also represented prominently in Belgium through the PSA which runs the most important terminal located in Antwerp, the second most important and busiest port in Europe. PSA employs 2,600 people there and is probably the company’s most important investment outside Singapore.

On the other hand our companies have very important factories or projects here. Chief amongst them is a dredging company implementing a S$2.67 billion project. Another firm is involved in an experiment with driverless trucks that involve the biggest logistics operator here.

Politically we have many exchanges. Belgium has the advantage of being the home of the European Economic Union and NATO, with all kinds of people passing through with whom meetings can be arranged.

What is the mark you would like to leave behind at the end of your tenure?

I think on the political front I would like us to have a more intense relationship between the two countries. I hope I can make this happen. I’d like to see more political delegations coming to Singapore to engage with people on matters that are not so much in the forefront as they are today such as counter-terrorism, climate change, smart nations, smart cities and such.

On the economic front we need to keep supporting the companies that are here and to bring in more delegations from Belgium and see how Singapore can serve as a hub for them and add value to their activities.

On the culture-public diplomacy level, I’d like to do more to show people that there’s more to Belgium than its beer, chocolate and lace image. We are also about bi-chemicals, environmental technologies, about world class companies involved in many fields of relevance today. We are high on education No. 4 in the World Economic Forum ranking and have excellent healthcare. I want to spread the message on all these aspects and let people identify Belgium with all these other things.

Royal Embassy of Belgium

October 10th 2016 marked the fiftieth anniversary of bilateral relations between Belgium and Singapore. On this occasion, a platform was launched where Belgian accomplishments on the island-state are showcased. Please have a look: www.50yearsbe.sg

On 15th March, Belgian companies participated in the International Furniture Fair Singapore. The companies showed their design in decorative items, carpets, home textiles and interior lighting, demonstrating Belgian excellence in contemporary design.

March – Francophonie Month
Traditionally March is also the month of the Francophonie: Alliance Française, together with embassies from French-speaking countries in Singapore, hosted the Francophonie Festival. Belgium’s 50th anniversary of bilateral relations with Singapore was the occasion to be “FOCUS COUNTRY”. We screened the feature movie by Joachim Lafosse “After Love / L’économie du couple” and famous singer, Axelle Red, played two acoustic concerts in Singapore.

The following month, 10 Belgian companies participated in the Medlab Fair to highlight their solutions in the field of life sciences. The life sciences and medtech domains represent 23% of Wallonia’s total exports, making it the region’s number one sector. Wallonia is one of Belgium’s three regions.

May brings the annual European Union Film Festival, Singapore’s longest running foreign film festival. This year’s edition took place in an iconic setting: the National Gallery. Belgium presented “Problemski Hotel”: a movie inspired by the novel of acclaimed Flemish author Dimitri Verhulst about the journey of 2 migrants.

In the same month, 15 Belgian start-ups visited Singapore to explore the bustling startup ecosystem in the city-state. On this occasion, the embassy hosted a networking reception for the start-ups to meet possible investors and other stakeholders.

On July 21st, we celebrated our National Day at the residence. It was also a farewell reception for Ambassador Cockx after four years in Singapore.

Ambassador Detaille arrived at the end of July with his family from Kuwait. He had the honour to present his credentials to President, Tony Tan Keng Yam, at the end of August.

In September, the Belgian technology company IMEC hosted its first event in Singapore: IMEC Technology Forum 2017 Southeast Asia. Guest of Honour, Mr Low Teck Seng, CEO of the National Research Foundation, shared insights on Singapore’s approach towards new technologies and Mr Luc Van den Hove, CEO of IMEC, did the same for Belgium. Belgian students in Singapore and Singaporean alumni of Belgian universities were invited to participate in the Forum.

Royal Belgian Caviar Launch
After the refurbishing of the kitchen of the Residence of the Ambassador, everything was ready for the official launch of Royal Belgian Caviar in Singapore. The best chefs in town were invited to taste this Belgian delicacy

Katoen Natie, Belgium’s foremost supplier of logistics and distribution services, launched the first driverless truck in Singapore, in their facilities on Jurong Island, thus underscoring Belgian leadership in quality and innovation.

October was a busy month with several delegations in town. First, Belgian wealth manager Econopolis – together with a sizeable delegation of business people – explored Singapore on a fact-finding mission to study opportunities in the city-state and the wider ASEAN region. Second, a delegation of Belgian healthcare leaders visited Singapore to study the local healthcare system. Finally, Belgian TV paid a visit here as well, to make a documentary about the education system in Singapore.

In the same month, Katoen Natie, Belgium’s foremost supplier of logistics and distribution services, launched the first driverless truck in Singapore, in their facilities on Jurong Island, thus underscoring Belgian leadership in quality and innovation.

Finally, in November, our annual King’s Day reception was held at the Tower Club where more than 300 Belgian and Singaporean guests mingled over fine cuisine and Belgian beers. This would not have been possible without the generous support of logistics company Katoen Natie and dredging company DEME.

(Text and photos by Embassy of Belgium in Singapore)