PM Modi Singapore Visit: Narendra Modi meets Singapore counterpart Wong Today World News

PM Modi meets Singapore PM Lawrence Wong

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 5 met Singapore PM Lawrence Wong during his two-day visit.
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The Hindu

Singapore is an important part of India’s ‘Act East’ policy and India wishes to create many Singapore-like success stories on its territory, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday (September 5, 2024), on his visit to the country.

Apart from meeting his Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong, Mr. Modi oversaw the signing of MoUs including one on semiconductors that will help in supply chain resilience of semiconductors, and announced that the first Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre of India will soon open in Singapore as the two sides plan to celebrate the 60th anniversary of bilateral ties next year.  

“Singapore is not just a partner country for India. Singapore is an inspiration for all developing countries. We want to create many Singapores in India,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a speech delivered in Hindi, adding, “Singapore is a crucial part of of our Act East policy. Shared democratic values connect both of us.”

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi who reached Singapore on Wednesday after visiting neighbouring Brunei was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Parliament House of Singapore. In his official statement, Mr Modi paid tribute to the Indian-origin population in Singapore and said it provides a “solid foundation” to the bilateral relation.

“We are forever grateful to Singapore for the respect that you have given to Subhas Chandra Bose, Azad Hind Fauj and Little India (an ethnic district in Singapore). Our relation will turn sixty in 2025 and our two sides are making plans to celebrate this occasion with great vigour,” said Prime Minister Modi, announcing that the first Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre of India will open in Singapore soon.

The Ministry of External Affairs informed that PM Modi and PM Lawrence Wong discussed “existing cooperation in the fields of defence and security, maritime domain awareness, education, AI, Fintech, new technology domains, science and technology and knowledge partnership.” Sources said that the two leaders also discussed the violence in Myanmar as part of consultation on the Southeast Asian region.

MoU on semiconductors

The high point of the Prime Ministerial visit was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between India and Singapore on semiconductors. The MoU was signed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry of Singapore Gan Kim Yong and the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.

In a statement, Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry said the MoU will help Singapore and India to “leverage complementary strengths in their semiconductor ecosystems and tap on opportunities to build resilience in their semiconductor supply chain”.

Upon the exchange of the MoU, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong said, “This MoU signals India’s and Singapore’s commitment to work together in the field of semiconductors to address the demand from industries around the world. This will also strengthen semiconductor supply chain resilience and create new markets and opportunities for businesses in our countries.”

During his visit, PM Modi visited the production facility of AEM, a leading Singaporean company in semiconductor and electronics sector. PM invited Singaporean semiconductor companies to participate in SEMICON India exhibition to be organised in Uttar Pradesh on September 11-13.

Apart from the agreement on semiconductors, the two sides signed an MoU on digital linkages that will help in cyber security, digital public infrastructure , and one on health that will enable closer cooperation on prevention of future pandemics. The fourth MoU exchanged was on skill development that aims to  promote cooperation in technical and vocational education and training.

PM Modi met Lee Hsien Loong, Senior Minister and Former Prime Minister of Singapore at a lunch where he appreciated Senior Minister Lee’s contribution to the development of India-Singapore ties.

“Recalling their earlier meetings, Prime Minister and Senior Minister Lee expressed satisfaction at the progress of India-Singapore relations into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” declared a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs about the visit.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong took over from Senior Minister Lee in last May after Mr Lee stepped down following nearly two decades of service. PM Modi also met President of Singapore Tharman Shanmugaratnam, and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.