SINGAPORE — Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has congratulated his newly appointed Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet while sending best wishes to the latter's father and outgoing leader Hun Sen.

Dr Hun Manet was appointed Cambodia's new leader by the king on Monday (Aug 7), after having effectively been given the post from his father who ruled for almost four decades.

Days after the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) won a landslide election victory in July, Mr Hun Sen announced that he would resign and hand power to his eldest son.

In a congratulatory letter to Dr Hun Manet dated July 26 and released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Monday, Mr Lee noted the longstanding and friendly ties between Singapore and Cambodia, with the bilateral relationship growing since a last meeting in 2018 when Dr Hun Manet visited Singapore as the 64th Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellow.

According to MFA, the fellowship invites outstanding individuals to visit Singapore. They are chosen based on their track record and potential to contribute to the development of their countries and to bilateral ties with Singapore.

Singapore and Cambodia have stepped up cooperation in trade and investments, technical assistance as well as military-to-military exchanges under Dr Hun Manet's leadership as deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Army, said Mr Lee.

"We have also expanded collaboration in new and emerging areas, such as the export of renewable energy to Singapore and the trading of carbon credits. Our countries should continue to explore expanding collaboration in areas such as climate change and digitalisation," he added.

Mr Lee wrote that he looked forward to meeting Dr Hun Manet in person during the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta next month.

In a valedictory letter to Mr Hun Sen, also dated July 26, Mr Lee described the CPP's victory at the elections as "a clear endorsement" of his "leadership and vision for Cambodia’s future".

Mr Lee noted that Mr Hun Sen was one of the longest-serving leaders in the world and had "steered Cambodia through challenging and unprecedented times".

He also highlighted Mr Hun Sen's successful ASEAN chairmanship in 2022 and the organisation of Cambodia’s first-ever Southeast Asian Games and ASEAN Para Games this year.

"You have worked hard to bring peace, stability, and development to the Cambodian people," said Mr Lee.

He then thanked Mr Hun Sen for his "strong support" for strengthening bilateral ties between Singapore and Cambodia.

"Our cooperation has grown across a broad spectrum of areas over the years," said Mr Lee.

Mr Lee said he looked forward to working with both Mr Hun Sen and his son to further deepen their countries' partnership. CNA