PM Modi’s visit:India to complete strategic partnership with Singapore

After Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Britain, a number of bilateral agreements were signed to strengthen the growing research and innovation partnership between the two countries.

Modi said he would discuss “looming threat of terror” and pressing security issues at the Summit to be held on Sunday. “As Modi himself said during his Wembley Stadium address, the perception of India is changing”, said Avinash Vazirani, manager of the Jupiter India fund, “The world is waking up to a host of opportunities that India holds, culturally but also when it comes to investment opportunities”. The world leaders said they were determined to counter action fundamentalism, recruitment and to prevent terrorists from abuse technology, including the Internet.

Singapore, on the other hand, is also pushing other members of the ASEAN, such as Indonesia, Cambodia and the Philippines, to expedite the ratification process of the India-ASEAN services trade pact.

During Prime Minister Modi’s go to, India and Australia finalised their nuclear deal, which can make it attainable for New Delhi to supply uranium from Canberra.

Briefing the media about the visit, Secretary (East) with the Ministry of External Affairs Anil Wadhwa said Singapore has approximately 3,50,000-strong Indian diaspora out of its total population of 5.5 million.

Modi was addressing thousands of people, nearly all of Indian origin, at a Grand Community reception in his honour at London’s iconic Wembley Stadium, home to rock concerts and England’s national soccer team, during his three-day visit to the UK.

PM Modi the had a bilateral meeting with Spanish President Mariano Rajoy Brey.

“Normally, the Prime Minister likes to address a gathering of Indian expats and I am sure that same pattern will follow in both these countries”, he said.

Singapore’s financial centre could, therefore, play an important role in raising finance for the development of India’s manufacturing sector and financing essential infrastructure.

Top Indian banks, such as the ICICI Bank and State Bank of India, have been eyeing a substantial presence in Singapore for over a decade. “My visit to Singapore will focus on these key areas of India-Singapore cooperation”, he said.

“This must also be a priority for BRICS nations”, he said. Singapore has become an increasingly popular location for Indian companies building their trade and investment ties with other Asian countries, notably other Southeast Asian nations. “We share the sorrow of Russian Federation for the lost lives in the fallen aircraft in Sinai”, he said, adding that these alone are a stark reminder of the “dark force we face”.