Dear President-elect Obama,

My warmest congratulations on your election as the 44th President of the United States of America!

It was a decisive victory after a long, hard battle. The American people have answered your call of hope and change. I recall our meeting at the Senate last year when you sketched out your vision for America. I am confident that you will be able to lead America forward towards a better future.

You assume leadership at a time of huge global challenges. The world needs strong US leadership to overcome the deepening economic crisis, conclude the Doha Round of trade negotiations, achieve an international agreement on climate change and defeat terrorism.

Many issues will claim your attention. May I make a case for the importance of South-east Asia to the US, a region which is not unfamiliar to you. The US has many friends and many interests in this region, which is happily not a problem region for the US. We can keep it that way. An Asean with strong ties to the US will help to keep the peace in the Asia-Pacific.

US-Singapore relations are excellent, underpinned by a Strategic Framework Agreement on security matters and a high-quality Free Trade Agreement. You can count on Singapore as a friend and partner. Next year, Singapore will host the Apec Leaders Meeting which was inaugurated by President Clinton in 1993. I look forward to welcoming you to Singapore at that time.

Dear Senator Biden,

Congratulations on your election as the 47th Vice-President of the United States of America!

I admire your spirited campaign and was moved by your personal story of overcoming adversity. The world is at an important crossroads. Your experience as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee puts you in a unique position to exercise leadership and help chart the way forward.

Singapore and the United States enjoy excellent relations. Our economic interlinkages are deep and multifaceted; and our defence cooperation substantive and mature. We share common perspectives on many international issues and work well together in international organisations. I look forward to working with you and President-elect Barack Obama.

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