Small countries can try to calm global tensions, says PM Lee

They also need to explain what they deem right and wrong, he says during NZ PM's visit

- Jean Iau

Small countries cannot resolve conflicts such as those in the Middle East, but can try to calm things down and encourage dialogue in the region, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on April 15.

He was speaking at a joint media conference at the Istana with his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon, where he was asked about the role small nations like Singapore and New Zealand can play amid escalating global tensions.

Asked if he thought a global war was on the cards, PM Lee said: "I do not think we are close to a world war; I think it is a very troubled world, and in particular, it is a very troubled Middle East." While nothing is going to solve problems in the Middle East in the foreseeable future, small countries still have a role to play, he added.

"You can try and calm things down, and you can get people back on track about talking about peace, maybe. And even that is going to be very hard given what has happened on Oct 7, and post-Oct 7," said PM Lee.

"But if you do not try to do that, then you are saying the only way is the way of the sword, and I think that is going to lead to calamity for everybody," he added.

Mr Luxon, who arrived in Singapore on April 14 for a three-day official visit, noted that New Zealand and Singapore have common interests, and that both are aligned on the rules of international and humanitarian law.

"What we want to continue to say is that we really want people to exercise restraint... and as (PM Lee) says, get into a negotiation and a conversation that ultimately leads to a Middle East peace process and a two-state solution," he said.

It is his first trip to Singapore as prime minister since he was elected in October 2023.