Singapore key partner in India's Act East Policy, vision for Indo-Pacific: President Murmu

New Delhi, Sep 4 (PTI) Singapore is a key partner in India's Act East Policy and vision for the Indo-Pacific region, President Droupadi Murmu said on Thursday while emphasising different aspects of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

Murmu said Singapore is a major source of investments for India and Singaporean investments in the country are also growing.

She highlighted the expanding defence cooperation, which includes bilateral exercises and training.

Welcoming Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who called on the president at the Rashtrapati Bhawan here, Murmu also appreciated the important role played by the large Indian diaspora in Singapore, which has contributed immensely to fostering cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

She said India and Singapore are important partners for each other, and "Singapore is also a key partner in India's Act East Policy and vision for the Indo-Pacific".

The president said 2025 is of special significance as it marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Singapore's President Tharman Shanmugaratnam visited India in January.

Six senior ministers, including Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, participated in the 3rd India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable held in Delhi just a few weeks ago, according to a statement issued by the president's office.

Murmu further highlighted that the India-Singapore relationship was elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Singapore last year.

The president was happy to note that Wong and Modi jointly laid out a roadmap for this partnership on Thursday, truly reflecting the depth and expanse of the bilateral cooperation.

Murmu said the bilateral agreements concluded on Thursday will boost the cooperation between the two countries in new and emerging sectors like green economy, space, civil aviation, fin-tech and skill development.

Both leaders agreed that regular interactions at the highest political levels are a hallmark of the India-Singapore relationship.

They expressed confidence that India-Singapore relations will continue to thrive in the future, the statement said. PTI AKV RC