Visit to Malaysia for trade, Singapore for investments: PM

The two summits would provide a platform for Modi to also interact for the second time with leaders of ASEAN and EAS countries after his interactions with them at Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar a year ago, giving a further boost to India’s Act East policy.

Modi said he would discuss “looming threat of terror” and pressing security issues at the Summit to be held on Sunday. Modi’s many overseas visits over the past 18 months saw governments make grand promises of investing in India.

In a DW interview, Rajiv Biswas, Asia-Pacific Chief Economist at the analytics firm IHS, talks about the significance of Modi’s visit, Singapore’s growing significance for India, and how the two countries are likely to benefit from the strategic partnership.

Away from the glare of television cameras and his domestic critics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United Kingdom last week has managed to radically reshape the contours of the India-UK partnership.

He will be addressing huge gatherings of people of Indian origin, both in Malaysia and Singapore.

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.

‘Bridging the current gap in infrastructure finance in the developing countries should remain our key priority, he said, while adding that G20 can play an effective role in supporting the multilateral goals of increasing research and development to develop affordable renewable energy.

Modi will be in Singapore on November 23-24 on a bilateral visit, during which he is also expected to sign an enhanced defence cooperation pact, along with other MoUs on cyber security, culture and training on urban management and the like.

After Malaysia, Modi will travel to Singapore. “Our programmes of inclusive development, including financial inclusion, universal access to basic needs by target year, Make in India, Skill India, Digital India, Industrial Corridors and Smart Cities will boost growth and, employment in India”. European Council President Donald Tusk said Russian Federation should focus its military operations on Islamic State rather than on the Syrian opposition battling President Bashar al-Assad, urging cooperation between Washington and Moscow.

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

He will again have a diaspora event. But the economy has recovered since, with the Indian central bank projecting 7.8 per cent growth in 2015-16, a jump from 7.3 per cent at the moment, according to its latest monetary policy statement. Singapore is a leading investor in India and several Indian companies are expanding their operations to Singapore.