Singapore (VNA) – Singapore and India have signed five Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and outlined "an ambitious and detailed roadmap" to chart the next phase of their bilateral relationship, as the two countries mark 60 years of diplomatic ties.
During his first official visit to India from September 2-4, Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi emphasised the deep and forward-looking nature of cooperation between Singapore and India, which is based on shared values.
The two leaders witnessed the exchange of a joint statement on the roadmap for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) between the two countries, as well as five MoUs covering digital asset innovation, the establishment of a green and digital shipping corridor with infrastructure and technologies to enable the use of near-zero greenhouse gas emission fuels.
The agreements also included cooperation in civil aviation training, research and development; skills development in emerging sectors such as semiconductors, electronics, and aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO); as well as in space industries including satellite communication. To date, more than 20 Singapore-made satellites have been launched by India.
Both leaders also witnessed the virtual inauguration of Phase 2 of PSA Mumbai, a container terminal at Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Navi Mumbai operated by PSA International. Once completed, the Phase 2 extension will make PSA Mumbai India’s largest single container terminal.
According to the Indian PM, collaboration between the two countries has not been limited to traditional areas but has evolved with the times to cover new fields such as advanced manufacturing, green shipping, skills development, civil nuclear cooperation, and urban water management.
To boost mutual trade, Singapore and India also decided to review the bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), which entered into force in 2005. Since then, annual trade has grown about 2.5 times, from 20 billion SGD (15.5 billion USD) in 2005 to 52.2 billion SGD in 2023./.
