- India and Singapore adopt roadmap to deepen strategic partnership.
- Emphasis on education, skills, digitalization, healthcare, and sustainability.
- Stronger security, maritime, and cultural cooperation commitments.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had a meeting with Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in New Delhi to explore ways to improve bilateral cooperation in education and skill development.
Discussed enriching Singapore-India collaboration in education and skills development with India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan a crucial pillar in our robust bilateral relationship," Wong posted on X after the meeting.
Earlier, PM Wong had a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House, where the discussions included trade and investment, advanced manufacturing, connectivity, digitalization, healthcare, skilling, sustainability, defence, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal added that the leaders also discussed regional and global matters of common interest.
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Stronger India-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership! PM Modi and PM Wong had extensive and fruitful discussions today. The talks covered stepping up cooperation in trade and investment, advanced manufacturing, connectivity, digitalization, health and medicine, skilling, sustainability, defence, and people-to-people cultural links. They also signed a Roadmap for India-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to chart the next chapter of the bilateral relationship," Jaiswal further posted on X.
The two leaders agreed on a roadmap to advance the India-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), building on the agreement to elevate bilateral relations during PM Modi’s official visit to Singapore in September 2024. The roadmap will guide cooperation across eight key areas: economic development, skill-building, digitalization, sustainability, connectivity, healthcare, cultural exchanges, and defence and security.
India and Singapore intend to start the Third Review of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and undertake a comprehensive review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) during 2025. The two countries will work together on sustainable and future-oriented industrial parks, emphasizing high-end manufacturing through government-to-government collaboration, knowledge transfer, capacity development, green standards implementation, and master planning.
The tie-up will also enhance business-to-business interaction, including through the India-Singapore Business Roundtable (ISBR), and enhance cooperation in the space arena. Bilateral endeavours will involve collaboration between the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) and Singapore's Office for Space Technology and Industry, with emphasis on space policy, law, research, Earth observation, and satellite communication technologies.
Additional collaboration will include legal and dispute resolution assistance to companies, digital finance, fintech, cybersecurity, and capital market connectivity through the Fintech Joint Working Group. India and Singapore will also seek green and sustainable initiatives through multilateral platforms like the International Solar Alliance and the Global Biofuels Alliance, and seek cooperation in urban water management and civil nuclear energy.
Realizing higher travel demand, both countries' civil aviation authorities will consider the expansion of the bilateral Air Services Agreement to enhance connectivity. The countries also agreed to encourage Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to promote cleaner energy solutions in aviation.
Under security cooperation, India and Singapore will enhance cooperation in maritime security and submarine rescue, enhance Maritime Domain Awareness through Information Fusion Centres, and function within regional security architectures as per ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative. Singapore also recognized India's interest in the Malacca Straits Patrol.
The two nations reiterated their strong commitment to fighting terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border terrorism, and agreed to deepen cooperation against global and regional terror networks and financing through bilateral channels, FATF, and other multilateral forums.
