PM Modi's visit to Singapore: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong held an important meeting in Singapore on Thursday, 5 September, in which the two countries decided to elevate their bilateral relations to the level of “comprehensive strategic partnership”. In this meeting, the two leaders signed four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), including cooperation in the semiconductor sector.
Sharing information on the social media platform 'X', Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that this meeting is the beginning of a new chapter in the relations between the two countries. The two leaders thoroughly reviewed bilateral relations in areas such as advanced manufacturing, digitalization, healthcare, skill development and connectivity.
Increased economic cooperation
According to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs, the two leaders reviewed the progress of India-Singapore bilateral relations and decided to elevate these relations to the level of “comprehensive strategic partnership”. This partnership will also give a boost to India's 'Act East' policy.
While discussing economic ties, Prime Minister Modi described Singapore as a key economic partner of India and emphasized that there are immense opportunities in India for Singaporean investors. The two leaders called for further increasing trade and investment flows.
Identifying areas of partnership
Prime Minister Modi also highlighted that Singapore is an important partner with investments of around US$160 billion in the Indian economy. They reviewed existing cooperation in the areas of security, maritime awareness, education, AI, fintech, new technology, science and technology and knowledge partnership.
New initiatives in cultural ties
On this occasion, Prime Minister Modi announced the opening of India's first Tiruvalluvar Cultural Centre in Singapore, which will further strengthen cultural ties between the two countries. He also invited Wong to visit India, which Wong accepted.
Future plans and the importance of relationships
In his statement, Prime Minister Wong said that Singapore and India have a deep and lasting friendship, which is based on strong economic ties and mutual relations. The two leaders also discussed the celebration of the 60th anniversary of bilateral relations in 2025.
Prime Minister Modi thanked Wong for the warm welcome and said that under Singapore's 4G leadership, the country will progress even faster. He said that work is underway towards creating many Singapores in India too, and the partnership between the two countries is a path-breaking mechanism in this direction.
(With inputs from PTI-language)
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