Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has written to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, to offer his condolences on behalf of the Government and people of Singapore on the passing of former Australian Prime Minister Robert J. L. Hawke.
The text of the letter is appended.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
17 MAY 2019
Letter from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison
17 May 2019
Dear Prime Minister Morrison,
On behalf of the Government and people of Singapore, I convey our deepest condolences to the Government and people of Australia on the passing of the Honourable Robert J. L. Hawke, AC.
Mr Hawke’s strong leadership as Prime Minister from 1983 to 1991 ushered in a period of prosperity for Australia. He will be remembered for his determined efforts to bring together the unions, businesses, and government to reform Australia’s economy, and for his bold vision of providing greater access to education and healthcare for all Australians.
Mr Hawke was a good friend of Singapore. He established close rapport with our leaders, and bilateral ties blossomed. He visited Singapore in 1984, 1987 and 1989, as he advocated closer ties between Australia and Singapore, and indeed with the whole of Asia.
Mr Hawke’s critical role in bringing the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group into being will long be remembered, especially at a time when the global consensus on free trade is facing headwinds. In 1989, I attended the first APEC meeting in Canberra as the Minister for Trade and Industry. Years later, I was happy to welcome Mr Hawke to Singapore when we hosted the APEC meeting in 2009.
Mr Hawke was a major figure in international affairs, and will be missed by many. Ho Ching’s and my thoughts are with Mr Hawke’s family, and the people of Australia during this time of loss.
Yours sincerely,
LEE HSIEN LOONG
The Honourable Scott Morrison MP
Prime Minister
Commonwealth of Australia