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Foreign leaders from Asia and the rest of the world will be in Singapore to attend the State Funeral of former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on March 29.
On Monday, Indonesia’s Joko Widodo and South Korea’s Park Geun Hye both confirmed their attendance, as did India’s Narendra Modi, Myanmar’s Thein Sein and Thailand’s Prayut Chan-o-cha the next day. The latter praised Singapore’s founding father for laying a concrete foundation for the development of every aspect of Singapore, based on good governance and morality. “He put public interest above self,” he reportedly said.
On Wednesday Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott released a statement after signing the condolence book. “He was a leading international statesman of his time, and laid the foundation upon which successive Singaporean and Australian Governments have built a strong relationship,” he wrote, adding that Sunday would be the day to celebrate Mr. Lee’s many achievements.
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen extended his condolences and his intention to attend the State Funeral on the same day.
Earlier on Thursday, US President Barack Obama announced that former President Bill Clinton would be leading the US delegation in Singapore, made up of officials such as former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and US Ambassador to Singapore Kirk Wagar.
Here is an updated list:
ASIA & AUSTRALIA
– Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo
– South Korea’s President Park Geun Hye
– Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha
– Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen
– India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi
– Myanmar’s President Thein Sein
– Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister Prakash Man Singh
– South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye
– Taiwan’s former Vice President Lien Chan
– Taiwan’s former Premier Hau Pei-tsun
– Philippine Senate President Franklin Drilon
– Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
– Laos’ Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong
– Malaysia’s King Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah
– Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott
– New Zealand’s Governor Genera Jerry Mateparae
THE WORLD
– Former US President Bill Clinton
– Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger
– US Ambassador to Singapore Kirk Wagar
– Former US Ambassador to Singapore Steven J Green
– UK’s First Secretary of State William Hague
– Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
