Miss Agnes Joaquim, an avid horticulturalist and second-generation Singaporean of Armenian descent, successfully bred the world’s first hybrid orchid in Singapore – the Vanda Miss Joaquim, now our national flower. Her tombstone is in the grounds of the Armenian Church at Hill Street, which was built in 1835.
Vanda Miss Joaquim and the Armenian Church attest to the long ties between Singapore and Armenia. Though small, our Armenian community have left their mark on Singapore history. The Sarkies brothers opened the iconic Raffles Hotel Singapore in 1887, while Catchick Moses co-founded The Straits Times.
I was therefore glad to meet Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan / Նիկոլ Փաշինյան this morning to affirm the warm ties between our countries. We concluded a double taxation agreement, and signed MOUs in tourism, culture and education. We are also cooperating to establish Armenia’s own Botanic Gardens. We look forward to strengthening economic relations through the Eurasian Economic Union-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EAEUSFTA). I thanked PM Nikol for his support on this, and hope that we can conclude talks soon and sign the FTA this year. – LHL
