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Singapore is one of India’s strongest well-wishers: Modi
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that the defence and security cooperation between India and Singapore is “a key pillar of our strategic partnership”.
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that the defence and security cooperation between India and Singapore is “a key pillar of our strategic partnership”.
The Prime Minister made the comments after meeting his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong, who is on a five-day visit to India, during which the two leaders discussed ways to step up their ties in various fields, including maritime and cyber security.
India is making diplomatic efforts to isolate Pakistan as part of retaliation to a militant attack on an Indian Army base in Kashmir’s Uri that killed 19 soldiers.
Singapore is a strong partner of India in southeast Asia and Modi has been making efforts to forge closer ties with the country, inspired by its impressive economic development.
“The rising tide of terrorism, especially cross-border terrorism, and the rise of radicalisation are grave challenges to our security,” Modi said.
He said Singapore is “one of India’s strongest well-wishers” and that Lee a strong advocate of bilateral relationship. “Singapore is already our partner in developing Amaravati, the new capital city of Andhra Pradesh. Rajasthan is also partnering with Singapore in the fields of urban development and waste management,” Modi said.
The two countries signed three pacts, including two in the area of skill development, following the delegation-level talks headed by Modi and Lee.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education Education Services (ITEES) and India’s National Skill Development Corporation on collaboration in technical and vocational education and training.
Another pact was signed between the Assam government and ITEES Singapore also on collaboration in technical and vocational education and training. A third MoU was signed in the field of industrial property cooperation.
Lee, accompanied by ministers and members of parliament, arrived in Delhi on Monday.
The delegates included the minister of trade and industry S Iswaran, acting minister of education (higher education and skills) and senior minister of state for defence Ong Ye Kung, senior minister of state, ministry of defence and ministry of foreign affairs Mohamed Maliki bin Osman and MPs Denise Phua and Vikram Nair.
Lee condemned terrorism and offered condolences to the families of the soldiers who were killed in the Uri attack.
Asserting that “rising tide of terrorism, especially cross-border terrorism, and the rise of radicalisation are grave challenges to our security”, Modi said, “they threaten the very fabric of our societies.
