Letters from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to Outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide and Incoming Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio ​

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has written a valedictory letter to outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide and a congratulatory letter to incoming Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio. The text of the letters is appended.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

4 OCTOBER 2021

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4 October 2021

Dear Prime Minister Suga,

Please accept my best wishes as you step down as Prime Minister of Japan.

Over your long career in public service, you have worked tirelessly for the betterment of the lives of the Japanese people. As Prime Minister, you led the country through an unprecedented and challenging time amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and oversaw Japan’s successful hosting of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Your leadership has also been crucial in Japan’s efforts towards digitalisation and sustainable development. These efforts will benefit not only Japan but the international community as well.

I would like to thank you for your strong support for Singapore-Japan relations. Throughout the pandemic, our countries kept up high-level exchanges and cooperation, including to maintain supply chain connectivity. We also strengthened our engagement in many areas, including on third-country infrastructure development and the digital economy. On the regional front, I would like to express my appreciation to you for Japan’s leadership as Chair of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Commission, as well as Japan’s commitment to promoting vaccine multilateralism.

This year marks the 55^th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations. As we celebrate our multifaceted relations, we also look towards the many new areas of mutual interest on which we can collaborate in the future. I look forward to working with your successor to build on your good work in further strengthening our ties.

I wish you good health and the very best in your future endeavours.

Yours sincerely,

LEE HSIEN LOONG

His Excellency Suga Yoshihide

Prime Minister

Japan

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4 October 2021

Dear Prime Minister Kishida,

Congratulations on your appointment as Prime Minister of Japan. Your victory in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Presidential election is a demonstration of the trust and confidence of your party in your leadership.

Singapore and Japan share longstanding and excellent relations. The resilience of our ties is evident from our continued cooperation and mutual support through the COVID-19 pandemic, including on connectivity and post-pandemic recovery. This augurs well for our two countries, which celebrate 55 years of diplomatic relations this year. There is much more that we can do together in areas of mutual interest ranging from digitalisation to tackling common challenges like climate change and ageing societies.

Singapore and Japan also work closely together regionally and internationally to uphold the multilateral trading system and support the rules-based order. Singapore appreciates Japan’s leadership as Chair of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Commission, and hopes to have Japan’s support when Singapore takes over the Commission Chair next year. We also look forward to the early entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). As an important Dialogue Partner for ASEAN, Japan and ASEAN cooperates closely in a wide range of fields, such as the digital economy, public health and smart cities.

We have a very substantive agenda together, both bilaterally and multilaterally. I look forward to working with you to continue strengthening our relations and advancing our mutual interests. I fondly recall our last meeting in Singapore in September 2019, and welcome you to visit Singapore again soon.

I wish you good health and every success.

Yours sincerely,

LEE HSIEN LOONG

His Excellency Kishida Fumio

Prime Minister

Japan