India-Singapore Explore Boosting Ties Across 'Six Pillars' at Key Bilateral Dialogue

Senior ministers from India and Singapore held a "productive" round of discussions at the second multi-ministerial roundtable here and explored how the two strategic partners can boost cooperation in digital, skill development, sustainability, healthcare, connectivity, and advanced manufacturing.

Indian Delegation and Key Participants

The four-member Indian delegation comprising Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw participated in the second India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) to discuss bilateral cooperation and exchange views on issues of mutual interests.

"During the meeting, the leaders emphasised ways of further enhancing cooperation between India and Singapore in emerging and futuristic areas," India's Ministry of Finance said in a post on X.

Review of Progress from the First ISMR

At the roundtable, the four leaders, led by Sitharaman, were joined by their Singaporean counterparts and reviewed the progress from the first ISMR held in New Delhi in September 2022. The ISMR is being held here ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's likely visit to the city-state next month.

Both sides deliberated upon the six pillars identified under ISMR, which include digitalisation, skill development, sustainability, healthcare and medicine, and advanced manufacturing and connectivity, according to the post.

Commemorating 60 Years of Diplomatic Relations

"The leaders also discussed plans for commemorating the 60th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Singapore, alongside regional and global cooperation, including ASEAN & G20 developments," it said.

"The leaders noted that the discussions in the 1st round of ISMR have resulted in the successful conclusion of MoUs on Healthcare, Education & Skill Development, Digital Cooperation, and Semiconductor Ecosystem Cooperation," it said.

Insights from the Roundtable

"A productive 2nd India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable today. We explored cooperation in digital, skill development, sustainability, healthcare, connectivity, and advanced manufacturing," Jaishankar said in a post on X.

Jaishankar also thanked the Singaporean delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, for their commitment to deepening the India-Singapore partnership. He added that the ISMR "enables the emergence of a more contemporary partnership."

Meeting with Singaporean Leaders

India and Singapore are important partners of each other. The visit reaffirmed the commitment of both sides to further strengthen their multifaceted partnership, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release.

The Singaporean delegation comprised of Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam, Minister for Digital Development and Information and Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry Dr Tan See Leng, and Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance Chee Hong Tat.

Discussions with President Tharman and Prime Minister Wong

The four ministers also called on Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during their visit and discussed ways to further take forward the bilateral strategic partnership.

During the meeting with President Tharman, the leaders discussed "boosting the India-Singapore Strategic Partnership by focusing on key areas like digitalisation, Green Initiatives, and Skill Development," the Finance Ministry said in a post on X after the meeting.

It said that Sitharaman appreciated President Tharman for being a "strong proponent of multilateralism through his seminal contribution to developing far-reaching reforms that can enable governments and institutions to deal with 21st-century challenges."

She also expressed gratitude for his invaluable contributions as a member of the G20 Expert Group on Strengthening Multilateral Development Banks during India's G20 Presidency last year.

Engagement with Singaporean Leadership

"Honoured to jointly call on President @Tharman_S of Singapore. Conveyed the warm greetings of President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister @narendramodi. Value his guidance on ways to further take forward the India-Singapore Strategic Partnership," Jaishankar said in a post on X after the meeting.

Goyal also took to X and said that their discussions aimed at deepening the "strong economic ties between our nations, driving growth and enhancing collaboration across key sectors." The four ministers also called on Prime Minister Wong.

"Delighted to call on Prime Minister @LawrenceWongST of Singapore today morning along with my colleagues @nsitharaman, @PiyushGoyal, and @AshwiniVaishnaw. We conveyed the warm greetings of PM @narendramodi. Appreciate PM Wong’s continued engagement with the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable," Jaishankar said in a separate post on X.

The ISMR is a unique mechanism established to set a new agenda for India-Singapore bilateral relations.