India-Singapore Relations Go Far Beyond Diplomacy: Modi

During wide-ranging talks at Hyderabad House here on Thursday, India and Singapore agreed on a “time-bound review” of the bilateral comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (CECA) as well as India’s free trade agreement (FTA) with Asean, of which Singapore is a member nation. Modi and Wong also jointly inaugurated the second phase of the Bharat Mumbai Container Terminal project, developed by Singapore’s SPA International, which will further enhance India’s container handling capacity in virtual mode.
In his inaugural remarks, Modi said, “Our relations go far beyond diplomacy. This is a partnership with purpose, rooted in shared values, guided by mutual interests and driven by a common vision for peace, progress and prosperity.”

The Prime Minister added: “Singapore is a vital pillar of our Act East policy. Together, we will continue to advance cooperation with Asean and carry forward our joint vision for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”
Hailing India as the world’s fourth-largest economy, Singapore’s Prime Minister said that ties between both nations “become more important” in a world marked by “turbulence”. He also endorsed the “ambitious and detailed” roadmap to strengthen ties between the two nations, including in frontier areas such as space.

During the Prime Minister's visit to Singapore last year, the two nations had agreed to upgrade ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Referring to the two nations' relations, Modi said, “In the course of this year, our dialogue and cooperation have gained both momentum and depth.”

The detailed roadmap announced by Modi and Wong covers trade, defence, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, green shipping, skills development, space, civil nuclear energy, civil aviation, healthcare and urban water management.

Of the five pacts, one was for Singapore to jointly establish a national centre for excellence to impart skills on advanced manufacturing at the National Skill Training Institute in Chennai. Both sides also agreed to “jointly develop sustainable industrial parks and next-generation industrial parks with advanced manufacturing capabilities” and agreed to expand in AI, quantum, and other digital technologies.

Another pact was on “supporting the establishment of an India-Singapore Green and Digital Shipping Corridor (GDSC) between the Port of Singapore and ports in India” to deepen maritime connectivity and work towards the establishment of a green maritime fuel corridor.

The foreign ministry's secretary (East) P. Kumaran pointed to Singapore’s “expertise” in the maintenance, repair and overhaul in the civil aviation sector and said it wants to strengthen collaboration with India in this sector. He also said that Singapore will continue to invest strongly in India and sees it as a “place where returns will be good”.

The foreign ministry officials indicated that a review of the trade pacts with Asean will be an opportunity to address the growing trade deficit, even as India counts on Singapore to explain New Delhi’s position to other Asean member nations. The issue of American tariffs on India did not directly figure during discussions, but the current global uncertainty did figure in talks.
“Today, in the Southeast Asian region, Singapore stands as our largest trading partner. Singapore has made substantial investments in India. Our defence ties continue to grow stronger, and our people-to-people relations are both deep and vibrant. Today, we have charted a detailed roadmap for the future of our partnership. Our cooperation will not remain confined to traditional areas… Our states will also play an important role in strengthening the bonds between India and Singapore… Gujarat’s GIFT City has now emerged as yet another link, connecting our stock markets,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister added: “The Semiconductor Ecosystem Partnership Agreement, concluded last year, has given a new impetus to research and development. The enthusiastic participation of Singaporean companies in the ‘Semicon India’ conference is, in itself, a matter of great significance. … Technology and innovation are strong pillars of our partnership. The agreement in the space sector signed today marks a new chapter in our cooperation in space sciences. We have also decided to hold the next round of the India-Singapore Hackathon later this year, to connect and harness the talent of our youth.”

Singapore also fully shared India’s concerns on cross-terrorism, with both sides “reaffirming strong commitment to combat terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, and reiterating zero-tolerance to terrorism”. Both countries decided to “strengthen cooperation to fight against global and regional terrorism and terror organisations, including those proscribed by the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee and against terror financing, through bilateral mechanisms, FATF and other multilateral platforms”.

A joint statement released on the roadmap said, “Singapore acknowledges with appreciation India’s interest in the Malacca Straits patrol”. At a special media briefing, Kumaran said that the Malacca Straits is jointly patrolled by four Southeast Asian nations — Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.

He said India wants to “participate” in this and pointed to the Indian presence in the nearby Andaman Sea (where India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands are located). He said India’s “expectation” is that there will be some “coordination” as the Andaman Sea region is “contiguous” with the Malacca Straits, through which some of the vital global maritime shipping lanes pass.