Our relations have grown from strength to strength
H.E. Mr. Tan Soo Khoon, Ambassador of Singapore and his spouse, Jennifer
Text: Martina Hošková and M. Zisso; Photo: Archive
Can you introduce yourself and describe your path to becoming an ambassador?
I was born in Singapore in 1949, and graduated from the University of Singapore in 1971 with an Honours Degree in Business Administration. I was first elected as a Member of Parliament in 1976, and contested in seven general elections. Parliament elected me as Speaker for three terms, starting in 1989, and I served in this position for 13 years until 2002, when I returned to the back bench for another term. I retired from politics in 2006.
I run a family business and serve as the Chairman of the Board of a property and investment company listed on the Stock Exchange of Singapore. I have been the Honorary Patron of the Down Syndrome Association of Singapore since 2007.
When I retired from politics, the then-Minister for Foreign Affairs asked if I would like to be the Ambassador to the Czech Republic. I am very happy to take up this appointment, as it is a great honour to be able to represent my country in such an important position. I am particularly happy to be accredited to the Czech Republic, with which Singapore enjoys a warm and friendly relationship.
In my free time, I like to be with my family and friends and to read up on current affairs. I also enjoy listening to pop music and watching movies.
You have been accredited to the Czech Republic for an amazing 18 years. What has been your impression of the country during this time?
During this period, I have been able to observe the Czech Republic emerging as a country with one of the highest GDP per capita in the Central and Eastern European region. The Czech Republic’s economy is underpinned by its manufacturing and ICT sectors, which are among the most advanced in the Central and Eastern Europe region. The Czech Republic is also investing in developing its high-tech industries, with growing strengths in the niche areas of nanotech and medtech.
As one of the longest-serving ambassadors to the Czech Republic, what advice would you give to your future successors?
Czech people across all segments of society are friendly, approachable, and always receptive to dialogue, particularly on topics of mutual interest. By expressing their views with honesty, sincerity, and respect, all foreigners, be they ambassadors or otherwise, will likely foster positive and productive interactions.
The name of your country, Singapore, means Lion City, and is known as one of the Four Asian Tigers. Can you tell us about your country?
Singapore is a small city-state located on the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. We used to be a British colony, and gained independence in 1965. Since then, Singapore has developed into a global hub for trade, manufacturing, and finance, bridging East and West. In fact, Singapore’s trade volume is three times our GDP. Our ports and airports are among the busiest in the world, and Singaporeans are proud of our country’s safety, cleanliness, and efficiency.
Despite our small size, we are home to around 6 million people from many different backgrounds. Our multicultural country has four official languages: English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil. Malay is our national language, and English is our working language. Singaporeans of different ethnicities and religions live together and often come together to celebrate different festivals like Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Hari Raya, and Christmas. We respect all religions and cultures, and this diversity is a big part of our identity.
Do you work on attracting more Czech tourists to Singapore?
As Ambassador to the Czech Republic, I’m proud to promote Singapore as a holiday destination. But before promoting Singapore, I want to share that as much as the Czech people love visiting Singapore, Singaporeans love visiting the Czech Republic as well! Prague is high up on the list of places to visit for many Singaporeans. In fact, the Czech Republic is known in Singapore as a deeply historic, cultural, beautiful, and unique country.
As a small city-state, people might think of Singapore as an urban metropolis. However, Singapore has much more to offer, including lots of green spaces and nature. Singapore’s “Garden City” vision, introduced by our founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who wanted to transform our city-state into a vibrant urban environment with abundant greenery, has now transitioned into a “City in a Garden” vision, aimed at integrating greenery into the daily lives of Singaporeans. Today, we have many green spaces and parks spread throughout the country that both tourists and locals can enjoy, such as Singapore Botanic Gardens (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Gardens by the Bay, Fort Canning Park, Jurong Lake Gardens, and many more.
Our geographic location also makes us a gateway between Asia and the West. Tourists can see stunning skyscrapers beside places of worship, bustling street food markets beside large shopping complexes, and peaceful green spaces in the heart of the city, all in a single day. They can even visit Buddhist temples, Islamic mosques, and Hindu temples all on one street! We have many different vibrant neighbourhoods for tourists to explore. From lively areas like Haji Street and Joo Chiat to cultural districts like Chinatown and Little India, tourists can get a flavour of the many different cultures within our country. While exploring Singapore, tourists can also enjoy affordable and delicious hawker food all around the island. Food is a big part of our identity – our hawker centres are known for cheap, yet amazing dishes influenced by cuisines from all over the world. Singapore’s hawker culture has been recognised by UNESCO as a unique intangible cultural heritage.
Czech citizens can visit Singapore for up to 90 days without a visa. We enjoy summer all year round, so you can visit us to escape winter! We’re open to visitors of all ages. Whether you’re interested in shopping, history, nature, wildlife, adventure, or nightlife, there’s plenty for everyone to discover. Singapore is also perfect for families with young children, who can enjoy the thrilling rides at Universal Studios Singapore, interactions with animals at the Singapore Zoo, or fun water slides at Adventure Cove Waterpark, among many other attractions.
Mr. Petr Pavel, President of the Czech Republic and H.E. Mr. Tan Soo Khoon, Ambassador of Singapore to the Czech Republic
Can you evaluate the current status of Czechia-Singapore relations?
Singapore established diplomatic relations with the Czech Republic over 50 years ago in 1973, and since then Czechia-Singapore relations have grown from strength to strength. As like-minded small countries, we share common interests in promoting free trade, multilateralism, and upholding a rules-based international order. Our strong relationship includes many areas of sectoral cooperation, including trade and business, defence, digitalisation, and cybersecurity. We work together at international organisations, including the United Nations. Singapore was delighted to welcome Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová in 2024, Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Minister of Transport Martin Kupka in 2023, and then- Prime Minister Andrej Babiš in 2019.
We welcome Czech businesses to leverage Singapore as a gateway and launchpad to access opportunities in the vibrant and fast-growing Southeast Asian and Asian markets. Singaporean companies are also interested in tapping into the Czech Republic’s strategic location in Central Europe. Singapore and the EU have concluded agreements such as the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA) and the EU-Singapore Digital Trade Agreement (EUSDTA). Since the EUSFTA entered into force in 2019, bilateral trade in goods between Singapore and the Czech Republic has grown by over 50%, exceeding S$2.1 billion in 2024, while bilateral trade in services has grown by nearly 120%, exceeding S$200 million in 2023. The signing of the EUSDTA in May 2025 reflects our shared commitment to a modern, open, and rules-based digital economy. We look forward to further opportunities to deepen business-to-business linkages, as well as to enhance digital connectivity between our two countries.
Czechia-Singapore relations are constantly evolving. New areas of cooperation, such as AI and technology, are emerging and have become especially relevant given the Czech Republic’s leadership in innovation and the knowledge-driven economy. We are seeing more and more exchanges between Czech and Singaporean businesses in these fields. For example, a business mission led by the Czech Association of Artificial Intelligence participated in Singapore’s AI Week in June 2025 and met many Singaporean businesses.
Cultural exchanges are another highlight of Czechia-Singapore relations. For example, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) has had several Czech musicians, such as Pavel Prantl, who was the SSO’s first concert-master from 1981 to 1993. More recently, Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore hosted Czech pianist Karel Košárek in July 2025, who enthralled the audience with the music of Czech composers Bedřich Smetana and Bohuslav Martinů. The European Film Festival 2025 in Singapore also featured Waltzing Matilda, directed by Czech director Petr Slavík. Film and music aside, the Czech Republic and Singapore enjoy good educational exchanges on internships, scholarships, and academic exchange programmes. Such interactions foster deeper connections between our peoples.
President of the Czech Chamber of Commerce Mr. Zdeněk Zajiček and H.E. Mr. Tan Soo Khoon, Ambassador of Singapore to the Czech Republic
You celebrated Singapore’s national day in August. Would you like to take this opportunity to share your wishes for your country and the Czech Republic?
Czechia-Singapore bilateral relations are deeply rooted in shared beliefs, mutual interests, and strong cooperation in various sectors. However, I believe that we still have many more areas of potential collaboration that we can explore together, both bilaterally and via ASEAN and the EU. These include sectors such as cybersecurity, high-tech industries, and sustainability. Despite being thousands of kilometres away from each other, the Czech Republic and Singapore should continue to enhance their ties for the benefit of both our peoples.
On the occasion of Singapore’s National Day, I wish for even stronger bilateral relations between our two countries, and for our two countries to continue to prosper!