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President Tharman & PM Wong congratulate Donald Trump ahead of inauguration
Trump is set to be sworn into office at 1am on Jan. 21, 2025 (Singapore time).
January 20, 2025, 11:31 PM
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong congratulated Donald Trump on his iminent inauguration as the 47th United States (U.S.) president.
Trump is set to be sworn into office in Washington D.C. at 1am on Jan. 21, 2025 (Singapore time), alongside Vice President-elect JD Vance.
U.S. leadership 'vital': President Tharman
In a Jan. 20 Facebook post tagging his U.S. counterpart, President Tharman said Trump's presidency followed a "historic win" in the U.S. elections that took place in November 2024.
Saying the world is at "a critical juncture", President Tharman highlighted the importance of U.S. leadership in "achieving lasting peace and prosperity" as well as in "resolving the challenges of the global commons that nations large and small have an interest in".
He also noted that Singapore and the U.S. have "strong ties", which are underpinned by economic cooperation, as well as in new areas such as emerging technologies.
"We can and will surely deepen this partnership in the years to come," wrote President Tharman.
S'pore 'looks forward to working closely' with Trump administration: PM Wong
Likewise, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong also conveyed his best wishes to Trump and Vance.
In a Jan. 20 Facebook post, PM Wong noted that the U.S. was one of the first nations to recognise Singapore's independence in 1965, and the partnership between the two countries has "flourished over the decades".
PM Wong listed several areas demonstrating the "strong ties", including trade and investment, defence and security, and collaboration in outer space.
According to him, these shared pursuits "are built on a deep reservoir of mutual trust", and Singapore "looks forward to working closely" with the Trump administration to strengthen these bonds.
At the same time, Singapore is also keen to explore new opportunities for closer cooperation, added PM Wong.
Like President Tharman, PM Wong also underscored the importance of U.S. leadership, which he said "has been a pillar of global stability, security, and innovation".
"Its leadership will be crucial in addressing today's global challenges and will continue to have an enduring impact on the world," wrote PM Wong.
Top images via Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Lawrence Wong & Donald J. Trump/Facebook
