India-Singapore ties ‘extremely strong’: Jaishankar

Hyderabad: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on an official visit to Singapore, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar the bilateral ties “have been extremely strong in the last two decades.” He also said that “the time is ripe to move to the next level of our ties.”

The Straits Times quoted Jaishankar as saying in an interview, “Given the transformation underway in India and the changes in the world, they need to become more contemporary. In many ways, that is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chosen to visit Singapore so early in his third term.”

In India, we are using the achievements of the last decade as the springboard to accelerate national growth and modernisation, he said.

Beyond the bilateral ties, there is also the issue of closer collaboration in a volatile and uncertain world. “In this regard, we must recognise that ours is a partnership based on a high degree of trust and understanding,” the Minister said.

“These characteristics enable us to share assessments and explore our convergences,” added Singapore, who has served as India’s High Commissioner to Singapore.

Responding to a question as to where India would like to take the bilateral relationship, the Minister said: “We have come a long way since then. As I pointed out, the time is ripe to move to the next level of our ties, reflecting current realities in both countries, as well as the state of the world.”

Where Singapore’s approach to India is concerned, it could start with the appreciation of the last decade of growth, recovery from Covid and the country’s rapid digitalisation, while also taking into account the advances in infrastructure, the focus on manufacturing and the availability of talent, the minister said.