Rõivas to visit Singapore, Malaysia with business delegation

Second Vice-President of the Riigikogu Taavi Rõivas has embarked on a ten-day working visit to Singapore and Malaysia, accompanied by a 34-member business delegation, to promote international business contacts.
"More and more Estonian businesses have the ambition and capability to look beyond Estonia, and there are markets where political contacts are of significant aid in the opening of doors," Rõivas said in a press release.
"Estonia and Singapore have worked closely together in the development of e-government," he continued. "As the most important economic center of Southeast Asia, Singapore is a good place to establish a base to do business in the region. In Malaysia, we wish to raise awareness about the innovative solutions of Estonia and to invite Malaysian businesses to expand to Europe through Estonia and e-residency."
Rõivas is scheduled to meet with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, with whom he last met in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar last summer. Meetings have also been arranged with Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore Charles Chong, Minister of Communication and Information Janil Puthucheary and Minister of Trade and Industry Sim Ann.
The main goal of the visit is to intensify economic and political cooperation between Estonia and Singapore and to open doors for Estonian businesses in the markets of Southeast Asia.
The business delegation accompanying Rõivas consists of representatives from 25 companies, mostly tech businesses but also companies from the food and defense industries. The business delegation's program has been drawn up by Enterprise Estonia.
In both Singapore and Malaysia, business seminars will take place where local businesses and investors will be offered an overview of Estonia's business environment and digital success story, as well as an opportunity to meet with Estonian business executives.
Rõivas will deliver remarks at the international tech conference Slush Singapore and will be one of the main speakers at the Innovation Labs World conference on e-government and digital society. Rõivas will also deliver a public lecture at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, the autonomous postgraduate school of the National University of Singapore.
Editor: Aili Vahtla
Source: BNS