No problem with counterpart’s timing: PM

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says he is confident New Zealand’s relationship with Singapore will remain strong after the leader of that country gave a date for his resignation just hours after a joint statement.

Mr Luxon met Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong late on Monday and the pair announced a further elevation of the Enhanced Partnership.

Mr Lee had made strong statements about Middle East tensions, saying while it was not close to a world war, it was a troubled situation that could not be solved by smaller countries like New Zealand and Singapore, but that failing to push for peace would signal ‘‘the only way is the way of the sword’’ and would lead to ‘‘calamity for everybody’’.

Mr Luxon had earlier talked up the prospects of greater cooperation on defence — including the possibility of freeing up New Zealand airspace for drone testing — and their agreement confirmed the resumption of Operation Thunder Warrior, a livefiring training exercise for Singaporean artillery to be hosted in New Zealand.

Mr Lee announced the date of his resignation shortly afterward, saying deputy prime minister

Lawrence Wong Shyun Tsai would take the role on May 15.

‘‘Nothing happens in Singapore without a plan,’’ Mr Luxon said when asked about the timing on his second day in the city.

‘‘It speaks to the depth of trust that we have between the two countries that what was such a momentous day for them politically, the prime minister was very generous in the sense of he wanted to have our visit . . . announce his retirement.

‘‘An hour after the retirement, I was in a meeting with the deputy prime minister, Lawrence Wong, someone who I’ve actually got to know fairly well — second time

I’ve met with Lawrence — and he’ll be an outstanding prime minister of Singapore as well.’’

He said defence, trade and security were all ‘‘very integrated agendas’’ and he was confident in the strength of the ‘‘sophisticated, deep’’ relationship between the two countries under Mr Wong.

Mr Luxon later shifted gears to business and tourism, joining local social media influencer Aiken Chia for street food as part of a hawkers’ breakfast function.

Mr Luxon continues his trip with a businessheavy day in Singapore before flying to Thailand. — RNZ