The Singapore Straits were already mentioned by the Portuguese explorer Fernão Mendes Pinto in his oeuvre Peregrinação (Pilgrimage), published posthumously in 1614, which relates the genesis of the Portuguese presence throughout Southeast Asia and the Far East from the 16th century onwards, uninterrupted until the present day.
The establishment of diplomatic relations, in 1981, with the then fledgling Republic of Singapore, thus only confirmed the Portuguese willingness to deepen political, commercial, cultural and people to people exchanges with the region which, despite the geographical distance, grows increasingly close as opportunities for bilateral cooperation develop.
Today, in theyear in which wecelebratethe 40th anniversary of this relationship, Portugal sees in Singapore a partner with its eyes set on the future, in a world in constant change where innovation, digitalisation and sustainability come to the fore as areas in which both countries can develop a more significant partnership.
In these stamps, which aim to mark this milestone celebrated throughout 2021, we can easily make out the green of the Laurissilva forest of Madeira or the Singapore Botanic Gardens, both inscribed in UNESCO's World Heritage List.
Portugal and Singapore are linked by a sea that has born witness to the great voyages of the Discoveries, now transformed into a highway of international commerce. There is no doubt that this sea that unites us will continue to form part of our shared identity.
