India and Singapore conducted the second round of the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) in Singapore on Monday, where they reviewed the progress of their strategic partnership, according to a press release from the Ministry of External Affairs. The two nations agreed to introduce two new pillars, ‘Advanced Manufacturing and Connectivity,’ to further enhance bilateral cooperation.
Representing India in Singapore were Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. From Singapore, the meeting included Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for 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 Tan See Leng, and Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance Chee Hong Tat.
“The ministers reviewed the progress of India – Singapore Strategic Partnership, particularly under the pillars of Digitalisation, Skills Development, Sustainability, Healthcare and Medicine, identified during the 1st meeting of ISMR, held in New Delhi on September 17, 2022,” the statement read.
The discussions focused on expanding bilateral cooperation and led to the decision to introduce two new pillars, Advanced Manufacturing and Connectivity, to further strengthen their partnership. The ministers agreed to schedule the next round of ISMR in India at a mutually convenient time. During their visit, the Indian ministers also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
“India and Singapore are important partners of each other. The visit reaffirmed the commitment of both sides to further strengthen their multifaceted partnership,” MEA added.
Wong described the India-Singapore Ministerial Dialogue as a crucial platform for enhancing bilateral relations. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman expressed gratitude to the Singapore Prime Minister for the meeting and noted that the discussions with Wong highlighted the strong foundation of India-Singapore relations. Jaishankar also thanked the Singaporean ministers for their dedication to strengthening the ties between the two countries.