India, Singapore to step up defence ties in key areas

This comes in the backdrop of India marking a decade of its Act East policy in which Singapore has played a key role

India and Singapore on Tuesday agreed to crank up their military cooperation, including training and industrial collaboration, during the 6th India-Singapore Defence Ministerial Dialogue co-chaired by defence minister Rajnath Singh and his Singaporean counterpart Ng Eng Hen.

NDefence minister Rajnath Singh meets Singapore defence minister Ng Eng Hen as the latter arrives to receive the ceremonial Guard of Honour at Manekshaw Centre, in New Delhi on Tuesday. (SpokespersonMoD-X)

Both leaders acknowledged the deep and long-standing bilateral defence relations based on shared outlook on regional peace, stability and security, the defence ministry said in a statement.

Singh and Hen agreed to extend the bilateral agreement on joint military training for the next five years, enhance industrial cooperation including exploring collaboration in niche domains such as automation and artificial intelligence, and take forward the cooperation in key emerging areas such as cyber security.

The dialogue came in the backdrop of India marking a decade of its Act East policy in which Singapore has played a key role in promoting economic cooperation, cultural ties and developing strategic connectivity with countries in the region. Also, the two countries will mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations next year.

In his address at the 21st Asean-India Summit at Vientiane in Laos, Modi reiterated India’s support for the bloc’s “unity, centrality and outlook” on the Indo-Pacific --- a vast region in which China is racing to expand its influence, with its aggressive moves fuelling global concerns about its intent.

Singapore is a part of the alliance.