Ambassador Shilpak Ambule highlights 60 years of India-Singapore diplomatic ties and expanding cooperation

Speaking about the significance of this year, which also marks Singapore's 60th anniversary, Ambule pointed to key high-level engagements, including President Tharman Shanmugaratnam's state visit to India in January.

While speaking to ANI, Ambule said, "India and Singapore are celebrating 60 years of diplomatic ties this year. It is also Singapore's 60th birthday. President Tharman Shanmugaratnam paid a very successful state visit to India in January. We do expect some more high-level visits to take place later in the year. We have a very unique mechanism with Singapore called the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable, where 10 ministers meet every year. They have identified six pillars of collaboration -- collaboration in digital space, skilling, health, maritime and air connectivity, advanced manufacturing and sustainability."

Ambule further underscored the expanding collaboration, particularly in the defence and security sectors.

He added, "Last year also marked the 10 years of our strategic partnership, so we felt that the relationship has grown so much and so widespread and deep that we need to elevate it to a comprehensive strategic partnership and we are also doing a lot in the defence and security space and that is the understated part of the relationship. There are also areas of collaboration, and different sectors are ongoing."

The party delegation to Singapore was led by JD-U MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, including Aparajita Sarangi (BJP), TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, Brij Lala (BJP), John Brittas (CPI-M), Pradan Baruah (BJP), Hemang Joshi (BJP), Salman Khurshid and Mohan Kumar.

Jha had slammed Pakistan for promoting terrorism and said that their entire system is based on it.

Interacting with the Indian diaspora in Singapore on Wednesday (local time), Jha said, "All the political parties are together. We are going to the world to tell the truth about Pakistan and its Army... Pakistan's entire system is based on terrorism, their way and their politics are like this only - to equip, to sponsor, to train them and then send them across the border."

Speaking about Operation Sindoor, Jha reiterated that India's target was to eliminate terrorists who are trained, financed, and have a launch pad on the Pakistan side. (ANI)