Singapore leaders send condolence letters to wife of late former US diplomat Henry Kissinger

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan have sent letters of condolences to Mrs Nancy Kissinger, wife of former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press statement on Friday (Dec 1).

Dr Kissinger died at his home in Connecticut on Wednesday, according to a statement from his geopolitical consulting firm, Kissinger Associates Inc. 

It said he would be interred at a private family service, to be followed at a later date by a public memorial service in New York City.

In his letter to Mrs Kissinger on Thursday, Mr Lee said he and his wife, Mdm Ho Ching, were "deeply saddened" by the death of Dr Kissinger.

He said Dr Kissinger will be "remembered warmly" by many around the world.

"He was a peerless diplomat, true statesman, and visionary of his time," Mr Lee said. "As a leader, he served with conviction and pragmatism."

Mr Lee cited Dr Kissinger's involvement in US president Richard Nixon's rapprochement with China in 1972 as a "watershed moment" that led to an extended period of stable US-China relations. It resulted in steady global growth and deepening globalisation lasting decades, greatly benefitting the US and many other countries. 

He also said that from Singapore's perspective, another of Dr Kissinger's major accomplishments was the extraction of the US from the Vietnam War. 

"He felt deeply the need to protect US credibility and its global influence, and refused to simply abandon America’s South Vietnamese ally," said Mr Lee.

"Though he was bitterly criticised for his actions, his strategy bought the non-Communist countries of Southeast Asia precious time. We were able to build up our political, economic, and military strength, and to organise ourselves into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

"By the time South Vietnam fell in 1975, and the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia in 1978, the Asean members were much better able to deal with the security threats."

Mr Lee added that Dr Kissinger travelled to Singapore in March 2015 for the state funeral of his father, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew. He also recalled the "moving eulogy" by Dr Kissinger at a private memorial service for the late Mr Lee in New York later that year.

Mr Lee also said he had the privilege of knowing Dr Kissinger personally and benefitted greatly from his "counsel, wisdom, and curiosity about the world".

He added that he last met Dr Kissinger during a visit to New York in April 2022, and they spoke for more than an hour. 

"Dr Kissinger touched many hearts throughout his long life. His legacy will remain with us for a long time to come," said Mr Lee.

In his letter to Mrs Kissinger on Friday, Dr Balakrishnan described Dr Kissinger as an "intellectual giant whose tireless diplomatic efforts helped to reshape the world".

Dr Kissinger was the architect behind many policies that "indelibly changed the global order", said Dr Balakrishnan, citing the establishment of relations between the US and China and the extrication of the US from the Vietnam War as examples.

Dr Kissinger was also a longstanding friend and ardent supporter of Singapore over the decades due to his friendship with the late Mr Lee, said Dr Balakrishnan.

He added that Singapore benefitted from Dr Kissinger’s "conviction in the need for a strong American presence in Southeast Asia", which translated into stability and prosperity for the region.

Dr Balakrishnan said he met Dr Kissinger several times over the years, adding that their conversations were always the highlights of his visits to New York City.

"Our meetings were precious opportunities for me to exchange insights on geopolitics and tap his wisdom when tackling thorny quandaries in foreign policy," said Dr Balakrishnan.

"Dr Kissinger was, and will continue to be an inspiration and mentor for many of us."