India & Singapore today signed 5 agreements
India and Singapore today signed five agreements on Civil Aviation, Space, Skill Development, Digital asset innovation and Green and Digital shipping corridor. The MoUs were exchanged after the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong in New Delhi today.
In his press statement, Prime Minister Modi said, India and Singapore will continue to work together to advance the Joint Vision for cooperation with ASEAN and for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. He said, Singapore is India’s biggest trade partner in South-East Asia, and it is an important pillar of the Act East Policy. Mr Modi said, technology and innovation are the strong pillars of the partnership, and both sides have decided to enhance cooperation in Artificial Intelligence, quantum and other Digital technologies.
Prime Minister Modi said, the sectors like green shipping, skilling, civil nuclear and urban water management will become the centre point of the cooperation. He said, to give momentum to mutual business, both countries have decided to do time time-bound review of the Bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and ASEAN Free Trade Agreement.
Prime Minister Modi said, both nations share common concerns regarding terrorism. He said, India and Singapore believe that fighting against terrorism with unity is the duty of all humanitarian countries. Mr Modi expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Wong and the Government of Singapore for their sympathy towards the people of India and for their support in the fight against terrorism, in the wake of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
Prime Minister of Singapore Lawrence Wong said that India and Singapore will expand cooperation in frontier areas like space. He said, more than 20 Singapore-made satellites have been launched by India. Mr Wong informed that through the MoU on promoting collaboration in the space sector, both sides will broaden this partnership. He said both countries have agreed to enhance exchanges, including through closer civil service cooperation.
Earlier in the morning, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar called on Prime Minister of Singapore Lawrence Wong in New Delhi. Dr Jaishankar appreciated his constant encouragement for the strengthening of India-Singapore ties. He expressed confidence that the talks between Prime Minister Modi and the Prime Minister of Singapore will chart a roadmap for the contemporary ties between the two nations.
The visit of Prime Minister Wong coincides with the 60th anniversary of India-Singapore diplomatic relations and reaffirms the continued commitment of both countries to further strengthen this partnership. The visit also provides an opportunity for the Prime Ministers of both nations to engage on regional and international issues of mutual interest. The External Affairs Ministry said that Singapore is an important partner for India, including in the Act East policy, and the bilateral ties between the two nations were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Singapore visit in September last year.
