Under The Angsana Tree: Trump-Kim Summit: "We are here to serve tea and coffee"

14/06/2018

Trump-Kim Summit: "We are here to serve tea and coffee"

Summit is S'pore's Contribution to World Peace

Next week's US-North Korea summit shows that Singapore enjoys trust and confidence as an honest and neutral moderator and host, said Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan on Tuesday (5 Jun).

Before leaving the US capital, Minister Balakrishnan told the Singapore media that hosting the summit was "our contribution to world peace".

"I am confident we will do our best as hosts. I tell both the North Koreans & the Americans, we are there to serve tea and coffee," he added.

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Transcript of Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan’s Media Doorstop in Washington D.C., 5 June 2018

FSN: Can I ask a little about how Singapore came to be chosen as the venue for the Summit? Was it Singapore who approached the US and North Korea?

Minister: No we did not put our hand up but we were asked. And in this case both the North Koreans and the United States felt that we were an appropriate venue. I think Singaporeans can be proud. Proud that we’ve been chosen because they know that we are neutral, reliable, trustworthy and secure. And there has been enormous interest in this Summit because if they achieve a breakthrough…. This is a problem that has been there for 70 years so let’s wait and see. But I am confident that we will be able to do our best as host. Although you know, to use an analogy I tell both the North Koreans & the Americans, we are there to serve tea and coffee.

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ASIA’S GENEVA: WHAT SINGAPORE HAS TO OFFER TRUMP AND KIM

Safe, clean, efficient, neutral … and a master of understatement

Observers say these are among the key reasons why Singapore, entrusted with hosting Tuesday’s summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, is well on its way to becoming “Asia’s Geneva”.

The Lion City this week signalled it would try to stay out of the limelight when the two bombastic leaders meet for their landmark meeting dubbed the “Greatest Show on Earth”. Singapore has been admirably discreet regarding the logistics of the visit, the downtown hotels where the leaders are expected to stay and the summit venue on Sentosa island.

The city state’s foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan quipped on Wednesday that he had reassured both sides the host country was “there to serve coffee and tea”.

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Summit shows S'pore enjoys trust of US, North Korea as neutral host

Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan meeting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington on Tuesday. FOTO: EPA

He was speaking on Tuesday at the end of a one-day working visit to Washington, where he met Secretary of State Mike Pompeo & National Security Adviser John Bolton.

Dr Balakrishnan will be in Pyongyang today at the invitation of his North Korean counterpart, Mr Ri Yong Ho. Before leaving the US capital, Dr Balakrishnan told Singapore media that hosting the summit was "our contribution to world peace".

"I am confident we will do our best as hosts. I tell both the North Koreans & the Americans, we are there to serve tea and coffee," he quipped.

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Trump-Kim summit shows Singapore is trusted as an honest moderator: Vivian Balakrishnan

Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan told the media that hosting the summit was Singapore's contribution to world peace. FOTO: ST FILE

The Foreign Minister will be in Pyongyang today at the invitation of his North Korean counterpart, Mr Ri Yong Ho.

Before leaving the US capital, Dr Balakrishnan told Singapore media that hosting the summit was "our contribution to world peace".

"I am confident we will do our best as hosts. I tell both the North Koreans & the Americans, we are there to serve tea and coffee," he quipped.

read more

Singapore to host Trump-Kim summit on 12 June 2018 at Sentosa's Capella Hotel

The Foreign Minister will be in Pyongyang today at the invitation of his North Korean counterpart, Mr Ri Yong Ho.

Before leaving the US capital, Dr Balakrishnan told Singapore media that hosting the summit was "our contribution to world peace".

"I am confident we will do our best as hosts. I tell both the North Koreans and the Americans, we are there to serve tea and coffee," he quipped.

read more

Unscrambled.sg 11 June at 03:12

Super proud that Singapore gets to serve tea and coffee at Trump-Kim Summit

A big role for a little red dot.

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Minister Vivian Balakrishnan: We Singaporeans are here to serve tea and coffee

Commenting on the Donald Trump-Kim Jong Un meeting in Singapore last Thursday (June 7), Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan said that Singaporeans are there to “serve tea and coffee”

“I am confident we will do our best as hosts. I tell both the North Koreans and the Americans, we are there to serve tea and coffee.”

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We are here to serve tea and coffee