Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Singapore

10/17/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/17/2024 00:55

Congratulatory Letter from Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to Prime Minister of the French Republic Michel Barnier

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has written to congratulate Prime Minister of the French Republic Michel Barnier on his appointment. The text of the letter is appended.

. . . . .

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

17 OCTOBER 2024

. . . . .

15 October 2024

His Excellency Michel Barnier

Prime Minister

French Republic

Dear Prime Minister Barnier,

Please accept my warmest congratulations on your appointment as Prime Minister of the French Republic.

Singapore and France are Strategic Partners with a substantive and multifaceted relationship. We cooperate across a wide range of areas, including defence and security, trade and investments, frontier technologies, education and culture. Our defence partnership is broad-based and longstanding. Last year marked the 25th anniversary of the Republic of Singapore Air Force's Advanced Jet Training in Cazaux Air Base. This milestone attests to the depth of our defence cooperation and the trust between our countries.

Singapore and France are also working together to seize opportunities in emerging sectors like the digital and green economies. The France-Singapore Digital and Green Partnership signed in 2022 will help strengthen bilateral cooperation on this front. The ongoing Singapore-France Joint Year of Sustainability will further highlight and catalyse bilateral collaborations in fast-growing areas including the green transition, clean energy, and sustainable development.

During my visit to France this April, President Macron and I agreed to work towards upgrading relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) in 2025, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of bilateral relations. The CSP will allow Singapore and France to take stock of the growth in our relationship since the upgrade of relations to a Strategic Partnership in 2012. It will also lay the foundation for both sides to further expand our cooperation in the years to come. I look forward to a substantive, wide-ranging and forward-looking CSP that will chart the way forward for bilateral relations.

I wish you good health and success in your new appointment.

Yours sincerely,

Lawrence Wong