India, Singapore reaffirm six-decade long relationship: Piyush Goyal

New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS) Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday commended the transformative progress achieved over the last six decades of diplomatic relations between India and Singapore.

He also touched upon the promising prospects for deeper bilateral engagement based on trust and mutual respect, and extensive cooperation across a wide range of areas particularly in sustainability, digitalisation, skills development, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and connectivity.

Goyal was speaking at the “India-Singapore @60: Partnership for Growth & Engagement” business session in Singapore, marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Singapore. The event was co-organised by FICCI, CII, and ASSOCHAM.

Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore, reaffirmed the close and longstanding relationship between the two nations underpinned by strong economic and people-to-people ties.

She provided actionable insights into Singapore’s vision for strengthening trade, investment, and innovation-driven collaboration with India.

The session witnessed the participation of senior government functionaries, industry leaders, and representatives from both India and Singapore.

The event underscored robust economic ties and highlighted new avenues for collaborative opportunities between the two nations leveraging new-age opportunities across technology, digital transformation, green energy, and skills development, industrial parks, infrastructure financing, besides others.

The business session concluded with a networking lunch, facilitating deeper engagement among participants and paving the way for tangible business outcomes.

On the sidelines of the roundtable, several bilateral meetings were held with leading global investors and CEOs to explore avenues of cooperation.

A significant highlight during the three-day visit was the meeting with Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of Singapore, held at the Istana.

Discussions reaffirmed the long-standing strategic partnership between India and Singapore, underpinned by shared values, resilient economic ties, and a joint emphasis on innovation and sustainability.

The engagements concluded with an interaction with the Indian business delegation, which provided a broader platform to align investor expectations with policy priorities, paving the way for expanded cooperation in regional and global markets.

"Very engaging interaction with the visiting Indian business delegation in Singapore. Encouraged them to tap into opportunities, build partnerships, and showcase India's strengths as a trusted global investment destination," Goyal also posted on X.

—IANS

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