New Delhi: Singapore High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong on Saturday conveyed his "sincere thanks" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he paid tribute to former Singapore PM Lee Kuan on his 100th birth anniversary.

Taking to X, the Singapore High Commissioner wrote in a post, "Our sincere thanks to PM Modi ji for your tribute to our late founding father Mr Lee Kuan Yew.- HC Wong"

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid his tributes to former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on the occasion of the latter's 100th birth anniversary.

PM Modi said Lee’s leadership played a key role in Singapore's transformation.

“My tributes to the great Lee Kuan Yew on the special occasion of his 100th birth anniversary. His visionary leadership played a key role in Singapore's transformation. His foresight and relentless pursuit of excellence are a testament to his personal greatness. His work continues to inspire leaders worldwide,” PM Modi wrote on X.

Yew was Singapore’s prime minister from 1959 to 1990 and during his rule, Singapore became the most prosperous country in Southeast Asia.

Born into a Chinese family established in Singapore in the 19th century, Yew's main aim was to retain Singapore’s national identity. He understood that the country needed a strong economy to survive as an independent country. He died on March 23, 2015, at the age of 91.

Notably, Indian-origin economist, Tharman Shanmugaratnam was sworn in as the ninth Singapore President on September 14, 2023. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated Tharman after his victory and said he looks forward to working with Shanmugaratnam to further strengthen the India-Singapore Strategic Partnership.

During the recently concluded G20 Summit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong and discussed bilateral relations between the two nations.

"Lovely to interact with the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong," Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Earlier this year, India and Singapore linked their respective online payment systems, Unified Payments Interface (UPI) of India and PayNow of Singapore, for seamless cross-border transactions between the two countries.

The virtual launch function was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong.

The linkage of these two payment systems of both countries would enable residents of both countries to the faster and more cost-efficient transfer of cross-border remittances.