Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore's outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart's almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East Asia.

"Prime Minister Lee is rightly esteemed as a leader of the highest order the world over. He has also made a significant contribution to the close ties between New Zealand and Singapore over many decades. He is a true friend of New Zealand," Mr Luxon says.

Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will take over as Singaporean Prime Minister on 15 May. Prime Minister Luxon will meet this afternoon with Deputy Prime Minister Wong to discuss the next phase of New Zealand and Singapore's close partnership.

"I look forward to working with incoming Prime Minister Wong on deepening our relationship across all its pillars."