16th Round Of FOCs, India And Singapore Pledge To Strengthen Bilateral Ties And Discuss Defence Issues

On Friday, August 19, India and Singapore convened the 16th round of Foreign Office Consultations, during which both countries pledged to strengthen their bilateral ties, particularly by expanding their collaboration in a number of areas, such as trade and investment, startups, and innovation.

Secretary (East) Saurabh Kumar led the group from the Indian side, while Albert Chua, Singapore’s Permanent Secretary, led the delegation from that country. The 16th Foreign Office Consultation today, presided over by Secretary(East) @AmbSaurabhKumar and Permanent Secretary Mr. Albert Chua, was productive and forward-thinking, according to a tweet from the Indian High Commission in Singapore.

The two parties discussed the whole range of bilateral relations during the meeting and expressed satisfaction with the current level of interaction. Both parties emphasised the value of bilateral political exchanges in realising the partnership’s full potential and decided to hold the following Summit in New Delhi on times that worked for both parties.

Along with trade and investment, startups and innovation, fintech, smart cities, infrastructure, skill development, and connectivity, the delegates also addressed ways to improve collaboration in these sectors. According to a statement made public by the External Affairs Ministry, the two nations also discussed topics pertaining to defence cooperation and exchanged opinions on how to strengthen the relationship between India and ASEAN.

India-Singapore ties based on shared values and approaches: MEA

“The need to further ease travel was acknowledged by all parties, who also underlined the rise in Indian tourist arrivals in recent months. Given that Singapore now serves as India’s ASEAN country coordinator, the two parties discussed ways to strengthen the relationship between India and ASEAN “based on the assertion.

According to MEA, the relationship between India and Singapore is founded on common attitudes and values, business prospects, and agreement on major concerns. Political participation is common. Relations in the defence sector are particularly solid. Technology and economic linkages are strong and expanding.

Singapore is also India’s sixth-largest trading partner (2020–21), accounting for 3.2% of all trade with India. The value of bilateral trade in 2021–2022 (April–September 2021) was $14.2 billion. The connections between the two countries’ cultures and peoples are also very strong.