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India highlighted Singapore as the key country in its "Act East" policy and its vision for the Indo-Pacific region during Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam's state visit to India, which started on January 14. The visit marks a significant milestone as both nations prepare to celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations.
The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday affirmed that the Southeast Asian nation, Singapore was a "key pillar" for India's "Act East" policy as well as for the country's vision of the Indo-Pacific. "Singapore is a key pillar of India's 'Act East' Policy and our vision of the Indo-Pacific. This visit follows an eventful year in India-Singapore bilateral relations, the hallmark of which was Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's visit to Singapore in September 2024, which also witnessed the elevation of India-Singapore ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," the MEA statement read. The Singaporean President was accompanied by his spouse, Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam, along with Singapore's Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance, Chee Hong Tat; Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of National Development Sim Ann; along with Members of Parliament and officials in his visit. During his visit, Tharman was welcomed by President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where he was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour. He also paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat. The visit included significant diplomatic discussions with President Murmu hosting a banquet in Tharman's honour. Both leaders also unveiled a joint logo commemorating the 60th anniversary of India-Singapore diplomatic ties. Prime Minister Modi and President Tharman also held extensive talks to review the bilateral relationship and explore ways to strengthen the India-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership as per MEA. The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, along with several other key Indian ministers, met President Tharman to discuss further cooperation between the two countries. These meetings included engagements with Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Health Jagat Prakash Nadda, Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Commerce Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Minister of Skill Development and Education Jayant Chaudhary. The state visit will continue with Tharman's visit to Odisha on January 17 and January 18. (ANI)
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