Singapore, India Elevate Ties To Comprehensive Strategic Partnership During Modi Visit

By Nur Ashikin Abdul Aziz

SINGAPORE, Sept 5 (Bernama) -- Singapore and India on Thursday agreed to elevate their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to the island republic.

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Modi agreed to elevate the bilateral relations from the existing Strategic Partnership, aiming to deepen and broaden bilateral cooperation against the backdrop of their 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations next year.

“Both Prime Ministers acknowledged India and Singapore’s shared history, long tradition of friendship based on trust and mutual respect, and extensive cooperation across a wide range of areas.

“They reviewed and expressed satisfaction over the progress in the bilateral relationship, which has developed into an all-round cooperation, including in the areas of political, economic, security, technology, education, people to people and cultural links,” according to their joint statement.

Wong and Modi also discussed potential collaboration in new and innovative areas, including cross border electricity trade and green ammonia supply chains, a joint flagship programme for skills training, enhancing cross-border data flows via the Gujarat International Finance and Tec-City (GIFT City), and cooperation in developing industrial parks in India.

Meanwhile, both leaders called on all parties in the South China Sea disputes to resolve their disputes through peaceful means without threat or use of force and exercise self-restraint in the conduct of actions that could escalate tensions in the region.

They also expressed hope for the early conclusion of a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

In addition, Modi and Wong reaffirmed their commitment to work together to promote peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific region, underlining the importance of an open, inclusive, rules-based and resilient region.

They also agreed on the importance of ASEAN Centrality in the evolving regional architecture for regional peace, stability and prosperity, as well as supported further strengthening of the ASEAN - India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership which complements India’s bilateral relations with individual member states.

Modi, who arrived here for his fifth official visit on Wednesday, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Parliament House and had bilateral meeting with Wong, Thursday.

The Prime Ministers also witnessed the exchange of four government-to-government Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) in the areas of digital cooperation, education and skills development,  health and medicine, and semiconductor ecosystem cooperation.

Modi also called on Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, and met Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.

He will depart Singapore on Thursday night.

-- BERNAMA