Singapore PM Calls For Stronger Education And Skill Development Cooperation With India

• Singapore PM Lawrence Wong met Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi to enhance cooperation in education and skills development.
• PM Modi and Wong adopted a forward-looking roadmap for the India-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, covering eight core sectors including trade, digitalisation, sustainability, defence, and healthcare.
• Both nations pledged deeper collaboration in space, fintech, green energy, aviation, and counter-terrorism, while advancing CECA and AITIGA trade reviews.

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong met Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi to discuss intensifying cooperation between two countries in the area of education and skill development. "Met with India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to discuss enhancing Singapore-India collaboration in education and skills development an important pillar of our robust bilateral relationship", Wong tweeted after the meeting.

Earlier on the same day, Lawrence Wong met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi with the agenda for the talks focused on increasing cooperation in areas of trade and investment, advanced manufacturing, connectivity, digitalization, healthcare and medicine, skilling, sustainability, defence and security, people-to-people and cultural ties. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told that the two leaders also discussed regional and international matters of interest to both.

"Stronger India-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership! PM Narendra Modi and PM Lawrence Wong had extensive and productive talks at Hyderabad House today. Discussions centred on increasing cooperation in trade and investment, advanced manufacturing, connectivity, digitalisation, healthcare and medicine, skilling, sustainability, defence and security as also people-to-people and cultural ties. They also discussed regional and global issues of mutual interest. The two PM's signed a Roadmap for India-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, giving strategic direction to the bilateral partnership", Jaiswal wrote on X.

During their encounter, PM Modi and Wong decided to embrace a roadmap for India-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that would provide the vision and direction for the future bilateral relationship.

The India-Singapore joint statement read, "Both Prime Ministers recalled the agreement to elevate bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), during Prime Minister Modi’s Official Visit to Singapore in September 2024. Building on this, they agreed to adopt a forward-looking and substantive roadmap for the CSP that would set the vision and direction for the next phase of bilateral relations, and deepen cooperation in eight areas, including economic, skills development; digitalisation; sustainability; connectivity; healthcare and medicine; people-to-people and cultural exchanges; and defence and security cooperation".

The two countries shall continue dialogue and make progress on initiation of the Third Review of Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and attain significant Review of the ASEAN India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) in 2025. India and Singapore will co-develop sustainable industrial parks and future-ready industrial parks with state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities, including through facilitating ventures and partnerships, government-to-government cooperation in knowledge sharing, capacity training, implementation of green standards, master planning, and promotion.

The two countries will deepen business-to-business engagement like through the India-Singapore Business Roundtable (ISBR), and deepen business-to-business engagement such as through the India-Singapore Business Roundtable (ISBR), strengthen partnerships and collaboration between the business communities in Singapore and India, particularly in sectors that complement the bilateral cooperation agenda, the joint statement said.

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India and Singapore committed to encouraging mutual cooperation in the space industry, including between the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) and the Office for Space Technology and Industry, Singapore and the space industries of both countries; in space policy and law and in research and development opportunities across areas of common interest like Earth observation and satellite communication technologies and applications.

The two countries also resolved to step up legal and dispute settlement collaboration, where practicable, with a view to meeting both sides' needs of the businesses, through engagement by the respective Ministries of India and Singapore. Both countries resolved to deepen Digital Finance and Fintech collaboration between India and Singapore, cyber security, as well as capital market interlinkages, including through the Fintech Joint Working Group.

India and Singapore mutually consented to cooperate on green and sustainable projects in applicable multilateral forums like the International Solar Alliance and Global Biofuels Alliance. The two countries consented to cooperate in urban water management and civil nuclear sector.

PM Modi and Lawrence Wong noted the increase in travel demand between both countries and urged the civil aviation authorities of two countries to explore increasing the bilateral Air Services Agreement to raise air connectivity. The two countries pledged cooperation on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to support cleaner and more sustainable energy alternatives in the aviation industry.

The India-Singapore Joint Statement said, "Continue the cooperation in maritime security and submarine rescue, as well as working closely within regional security architectures in line with the principles and areas of cooperation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative; Strengthen cooperation in Maritime Domain Awareness between respective Information Fusion Centres, including through International Liaison Officers; Singapore appreciates India's keen interest in the Malacca Straits Patrol".

The two countries reaffirmed firm commitment to counter terrorism, including cross-border terrorism. The joint statement stated, "Reaffirming firm commitment to counter terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, in all its manifestations and forms, and reiterating zero-tolerance to terrorism, the two countries will deepen cooperation to counter global and regional terrorism and terror groups, including those listed by the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee and against terror financing, through bilateral frameworks, FATF and other multilateral forums".