In
loving memory of Singapore’s Founding Father, Lee Kuan Yew who passed away on
23 March 2015, I will post two internet sources about Russia paying tribute to
him.
In September 2009, as Minister Mentor, Mr Lee
Kuan Yew met Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (L) in Moscow (AFP/ RIA
NOVOSTI / POOL / ALEXEY NIKOLSKY)
[PHOTO SOURCE: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/specialreports/rememberingleekuanyew/news/russian-leaders-send/1737582.html#]
|
INTERNET
SOURCE: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/specialreports/rememberingleekuanyew/news/russian-leaders-send/1737582.html
TITLE: Mr Lee Kuan Yew a
man of 'the highest international influence': Putin, Medvedev
Posted 24 Mar 2015 14:45
Russia President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev paid tribute to the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
SINGAPORE:
Russian leaders have sent their condolences following the death of Singapore's
founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on Monday (Mar 23).
Russia
President Vladimir Putin praised Singapore's social and economic development,
and advances in science and technology under Mr Lee. He added that Mr Lee had earned "his compatriots' sincere love and
respect and won the highest international influence".
Mr
Putin also said that Mr Lee was a "consistent
supporter of developing friendly relations between Russia and Singapore and a
leader who made a great personal contribution to strengthening the two
countries’ mutually advantageous bilateral cooperation".
Separately,
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev also paid tribute to Mr Lee.
"The history of Singapore's independence is inextricably linked
with the name of their first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. He was the creator of
the modern model of the national economy and thanks to him, the authority of
the country in the regional and international arena was strengthened," he wrote on his Facebook page.
"His death is a great loss. I will always remember our meetings
and conversations together, as well as working together in the board of
trustees of the Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO.
"I express my deepest condolences to the families and friends
of Lee Kuan Yew, and to the citizens of Singapore."
-
CNA/ac
INTERNET
SOURCE: http://rbth.com/international/2015/03/23/remembering_lee_kuan_yew_russias_elite_pays_tribute_as_singapor_44695.html
Remembering Lee Kuan
Yew: Russia’s elite pays tribute as Singapore mourns
March
23, 2015
In the early hours of
March 23, the first prime minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, passed away.
Until his dying day, the mastermind of the “Singapore economic miracle”
commanded great respect and love among the citizens of Singapore. His
experience remained relevant for world leaders and economic figures from many
developing countries, including Russia. RBTH rounds up the early Russian
reaction to the news of Lee Kuan Yew’s death.
Vladimir Putin, president of Russia
Putin
expressed his condolences to President of Singapore Tony Tan Keng Yam following
the death of Singapore’s longstanding former prime minister and one of the “patriarchs”
of international politics, says a statement posted on the Russian president’s official
website.
“Over his decades of work as prime minister and in other high
government posts, he earned his compatriots’ sincere love and respect and won
the highest international influence,”
said Vladimir Putin. The Russian president also stressed that Russia will
remember Lee Kuan Yew as a consistent supporter of developing friendly
relations between the two countries, who made a great personal contribution to
strengthening mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation.
Alexei Kudrin, former Russian finance
minister (Twitter)
Lee
Kuan Yew, who created modern Singapore, has died. He had faith in Russia. I was
fortunate to have met that wonderful man on more than one occasion.
Sergei Guriev, economics professor,
former head of Russia’s New Economic School (Slon.ru)
The
best memory that Lee Kuan Yew has left us with is the Singapore miracle, a
prosperous and educated country with low corruption that was built out of
nothing. Lee Kuan Yew did not consider himself a genius.
In
his book From Third World to
First: The Singapore Story, he said that all the decisions he had
taken were to a certain extent obvious: For Singapore to survive, it was
necessary to create a competitive economy. To that end, it was necessary to
attract foreign investors and to improve the quality of education of the local
workforce, to eradicate corruption and create the world’s best conditions for
business.
The
value of that book is not so much in that it describes what needs to be done
for economic development but that it proves that everyday work in the right
direction brings fantastic results in just a couple of decades.
In
his later years, he often visited Russia and he was always asked: “What is to
be done?” In 2009, six months after the events in Georgia [the Russo-Georgian
war of 2008 – RBTH], while addressing a Russian audience, Lee Kuan Yew said
politely but firmly: “It is of course for you to decide but if you need
investment and economic growth, it is better to trade with one’s neighbors rather
than fight with them.” I think this advice remains relevant still.
Alexei Pushkov, head of the State
Duma’s international affairs committee (Twitter)
Lee
Kuan Yew has died. I had the pleasure of meeting him in 2010. He was a major
leader and a wise man, unlike many modern Western politicians.
Vladislav Inozemtsev, head of the
Center for Post-Industrial Studies (Slon.ru)
With
Lee Kuan Yew’s death, the world has lost an outstanding reformer of the 20th
century. There was perhaps only one figure equal to him, [former Chinese
leader] Deng Xiaoping. Singapore’s expulsion from the Federation of Malaya,
which resulted in the country’s independence, was a unique event in world
history. If one were to turn to this side of Singapore’s history more often, it
should be noted that the presence of competent and forward-looking leaders is
more important for a nation than “unity” or “stability.”
Each
country follows its own path of development. Its success, as the example of
Singapore clearly shows, depends not so much on the price of oil or natural
competitive advantages but on the talent and honesty of its leaders. This is
perhaps what should be the biggest “Singaporean lesson” for Russia.
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