G20: PM Modi interacts with Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong, discusses bilateral ties

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

"India and Singapore will continue to deepen our bilateral relations for the betterment of our people," PM Modi said.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong arrived in New Delhi on Friday to participate in the upcoming G20 Summit which is being held on September 9 and 10.

Prime Minister Loong was received by L Murugan, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting of India.

This is the first time that the G20 Summit is taking place under Indias presidency. The event will be graced by many global leaders and delegates. Extensive preparations and arrangements have been made for the summit, with the intention of showcasing both Indias soft power as well as modern face.

A G20 Leaders declaration will be adopted at the conclusion of theG20 Summit, stating Leaders commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working group meetings.

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.

People in both countries will be able to send money in real-time via QR-code-based or simply by entering mobile numbers linked to the bank account.

This collaboration will also help theIndian diaspora inSingapore, especially migrant workers and students through instantaneous and low-cost transfer of money fromSingaporetoIndia and vice-versa. (ANI)