India, Singapore sign joint declaration on strategic partnership

The Indian prime minister flew into Singapore from Malaysia in the second and final leg of his four-day visit to southeast Asia. He witnessed the signing of the accords, attended a lunch hosted by Lee. “Now. the other countries are thinking that if they get an opportunity, they would like to be India’s partner”, Prime Minister Modi said while addressing the Indian Diaspora at Singapore Expo.

While the cyber-security agreement was signed between the Indian Computer Emergency Team (CERT-IN) and Cyber Security, Malaysia, the cultural exchange programme agreement was inked between the ministries of culture of the two countries.

The same day, the two premiers – Modi and Lee – will sign the India-Singapore Strategic Partnership to boost bilateral ties.

In wide-ranging discussions with Singapore leaders, including its Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Tony Tan Keng, Modi stressed on the idea to “create many Singapores” within India.

He said the recent spate of attacks in different countries, apart from the “ceaseless terrorist attempts against India and Afghanistan”, were a reminder of the global nature of this threat.

Happy to address the India-Singapore Economic Convention.

A joint statement released after the talks said both sides expressed “strong condemnation for terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and called upon all states to reject terrorism and bring perpetrators of terrorism to justice”.

Calling FDI as first develop India, Modi said: India requires foreign investment.

An MoU was also signed between Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) to facilitate mutual cooperation in a number of mutually agreed areas of civil aviation services and airport management beginning with Jaipur and Ahmedabad airports.

Talking to journalists outside the Parliament House, he said that Modi was destroying peace in Pakistan, India and in the whole region.

Modi said Singapore is the second-largest source of FDI for India.

“We are working hard to make sure that our tax regime is transparent and predictable. Singapore is now one of the top destinations for Indian investments”.

He also spoke of the potential of his pet projects like Digital India, Skill India and Start-up India Campaign.

“In last 18 months reforms are happening and we have reached the last mile”.