SINGAPORE — In his seven years working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Mr Vishnuvarthan Balakrishnan has rubbed shoulders with various heads-of-state and foreign dignitaries.

Now, he can add an encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin – who made his first state visit to the Republic earlier this week – as well as with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to the list.

Speaking to TODAY on Thursday (Nov 15) as the Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) summits wrapped up, Mr Vishnuvarthan, who is part of the summit’s hospitality sub-committee, said it was an exciting experience to see the Russian leader in the flesh.

“Everyone will always talk about (Mr) Putin because you don’t always get to see the Russian president in Singapore,” he said.

He was not the only excited one.

Back home, the 32-year-old’s wife was equally thrilled. “(My wife) texted me and said… 'You didn’t tell me the Russian President (and Canadian Prime Minister) was going to be here!’,” he said.

“I replied: ‘Yeah I am not supposed to tell you these things’,” the assistant director of the MFA’s protocol directorate added with a chuckle.

Mr Vishnuvarthan’s team is responsible for arranging the logistics for the various heads-of-state during their visit here for the four-day summit. These include transport arrangements, meals as well as accommodation.

In addition, Mr Vishnuvarthan had to manage around 80 liaison officers for the summit.

There were about three to four officers attached to each of the 20 delegations that visited the Republic. These liaison officers were responsible for facilitating hospitality arrangements for the various delegations, among other things.

Mr Vishnuvarthan’s work at the Asean summits comes around half a year after his involvement in another major summit: the historic Trump-Kim summit, which saw United States President Donald Trump meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Sentosa.

For that, he oversaw – among other issues, the motorcade arrangements for the North Korean delegation, as well as the arrangements at the airport for both leaders.

‘LIKE A DUCK SWIMMING ON WATER’

Mr Vishnuvarthan said that the logistics work has been equally challenging and fulfilling.

Calling it a “whole-of-Government” effort, he said that at the onset – planning for the Asean summit began a year ago – “we thought that it would be difficult to (accomplish), but we did (it)”.

“We realised that there was a common ground… that everyone just wants a good representation of who (Singapore is).”

He added: “We always have an analogy for this. It’s like a duck that’s swimming on water. Everything above water looks smooth and calm, but below we are paddling furiously.”

One example of the non-stop work his team put in was in scheduling the motorcades – an important element to ensure that summit proceedings ran like clockwork.

“We time all the motorcade movements. Actually, it goes down to detail – how long it takes from (Changi Airport’s) VIP complex to the hotel… how long from the hotel to Suntec Convention Centre (where the summits are held),” he added.

“For example, at the gala dinner (held on Wednesday evening), we had 20 heads of states and governments who needed to arrive from their hotels to Suntec within a short time frame.

“We had to time it exactly… You don’t want (them to) arrive over a one-hour period because then (the programme) just stretches,” he told TODAY.

Despite the challenges, Mr Vishnuvarthan said he felt a sense of fulfillment in knowing that Singapore managed to host a successful Asean summit.

He recounted how some of his liaison officers had good feedback from the delegations. “Some of the leaders, (as they were leaving) turned around and looked for the liaison officer and shook their hand and said they have done a good job.

“I think that brings a sense of satisfaction for them, and a sense of satisfaction for me and the team because we manage them,” said Mr Vishnuvarthan.

SHOWCASING SINGAPORE

It was an equally rewarding experience for Ms Nadira Mohamed Aslam, who was part of the summit’s gala dinner working group, to see the guests enjoying themselves.

The 26-year-old, who is part of MFA’s South-east Asia directorate and was roped in for the occasion, told TODAY that the gala dinner was a “good opportunity to showcase Singapore through performance and food”.

“We want to make sure there is the element of Singapore and something unique. We want to make sure they remember something about Singapore,” she added.

For the menu, Ms Nadira said the team settled on “Singapore-inspired fusion dishes”. This was so that the dinner would provide a unique experience, even for those who have tasted Singaporean food.

The team also curated the performances for the gala dinner, which Ms Nadira said was a platform to showcase Singaporean talents.

Recounting the planning process for the dinner – which commenced a year ago – Ms Nadira said that “expectations are high”.

“These are international leaders (and) they attend the summit every year. You want to make sure it is something different they remember after a whole day of meetings,” she said.

“After all the planning, when you finally see it come together, it is a nice feeling.”