When the current economic crisis is over, the world will be a different place with many centers of political, economic and cultural influence, and Asia's two emerging giants China and India will become big powers in the future, said a Singapore minister on Saturday.

Speaking at the 15th anniversary celebrations of a local secondary school on Saturday, Foreign Minister George Yeo also said that Russia and Brazil will also play major roles. The Middle East, as the major supplier of oil and gas to the world, will be important to Singapore. So too emerging markets in Africa and Latin America.

The minister urged Singapore students to prepare for a different world.

"We must prepare for a different world in which we make a living and safeguard our security," he said, adding that "Our students should anticipate the changes so that they are well prepared for them. Learning languages is an obvious example. But we do not only need to speak different languages, we must also understand different cultures and political systems."

The minister said that the current global economic crisis will also test the moral character of Singaporeans.

If there is a strong sense of mutual obligation, solidarity and affection, the people in Singapore will not only pull through the economic crisis, but also will emerge stronger and more united, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 5, 2009)