Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Singapore, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Tuesday (September 3, 2024) said the time was ripe for the two countries to take bilateral relations to the next level.
“Because of the transformation that India is undergoing and the world is changing, it needs to be more contemporary. In many ways, that is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose to visit Singapore at the beginning of his third term. The Straits Times quoted Mr. Jaishankar during an interview.
He said India and Singapore’s bilateral ties “have grown very strong over the past two decades”.
Just as Singapore had the opportunity in 1992 and again in 2006, it must take its time and make full use of the new landscape, the Minister said.
“Sometimes, to be honest, I think the impressions behind you are a bit dated,” Mr Jaishankar said.
“In India, we are using the achievements of the last decade as a springboard to accelerate national growth and modernization,” the Minister said.
In addition to bilateral relations, there is also the issue of closer collaboration in an unstable and uncertain world. “In this regard, we must recognize that we are a partnership based on high trust and understanding,” said the Minister.
“These characteristics allow us to share our assessments and explore our convergence,” he said.
The Prime Minister will always have special sentiments for Singapore and the leadership relationship will be more important than ever, said Mr Jaishankar who has served as the Indian High Commissioner to Singapore and has a good understanding of the city-state.
Responding to a question about where India wants to take bilateral relations, the Minister said, “We have come a long way since then. As I said, the time is ready to move to the next level of our relations, reflecting the current reality in both countries, as well as the world situation. If the approach Singapore to India is concerned, it can start with the appreciation of the growth of the last decade, the recovery from Covid and the rapid digitization of the country, while also taking into account the progress of infrastructure, focus on manufacturing and the availability of talent, the Minister said.
The issue was also discussed at the India-Singapore Ministerial Round Table last week – in preparation for PM Modi’s visit to the city-state.
“I will define promising technologies for the future such as semiconductors, green technology and electric mobility. We must also think together about the future of connectivity and energy flow,” said Mr. Jaishankar.
The minister also used the Covid experience to highlight India’s relevance for food security and health, saying: “As a global scenario, we have built a policy of ‘Act East’ to now have a complete Indo-Pacific commitment.” Mr. Jaishankar said there is a new balance and India will definitely play. “This is very much in the interest of Singapore and ASEAN.” “In an era where we will witness a deficit in the global commons, our relationship can make a greater difference,” he said.
The minister also commented on the perception that India’s main focus in the wider region today is the Gulf, not ASEAN. “I will not take an ‘either-or’ approach. Of course, in the last decade, India’s relations with the Gulf countries have been lost. “The previous administration looked more narrowly from the perspective of trade, energy and diaspora. In contrast, the Modi government’s policies have gone beyond investment, technology, security and connectivity,” he said.
“We always feel that our community’s contribution is more recognized (in the Gulf). The economic and demographic complementarity is now greater.
“But because of this, I will not draw conclusions about Asean. In fact, our relations are also deepening at this time. Jaishankar emphasized the fact that India – the most populous country and now the fifth largest economy – will definitely have multi-directional engagement.” The world is not a zero-sum game for us.” The minister also elaborated on Singapore being the springboard for India’s ‘Look East’ policy.
“Obviously, Singapore, which is at the core of the ‘Look East’ policy, also plays a similar role in the ‘Act East’ policy. If you look at the new domains that reflect this evolution, Singapore’s partnership in security, connectivity, technology and sustainability is evident. The ‘Act East’ policy has always been very active for various reasons, he stressed, adding that Southeast Asia itself has a lot of untapped potential and its demographic and growth prospects make it a long-term partner.
“Imagine for example what the Trilateral Highway (a plan to connect India with Myanmar and Thailand) can do when it is completed,” he said.
“This is also an important relationship for India’s Indo-Pacific engagement. I believe it predicts a bright future.
PM Modi will travel to Singapore on Wednesday (September 4, 2024).
He said he was looking forward to meeting President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Senior Minister Emeritus Goh Chok Tong in Singapore.
PM Modi will also meet leaders of Singapore’s business community.
