PM Modi will leave for Brunei-Singapore today, focussing on the semiconductor-free trade agreement

India's PM Narendra Modi, who is in a new game of improving his relations with the South East Asian Countries, will be leaving on a three-day visit to Brunei and Singapore on a Tuesday. PM Modi will discuss with both on strengthening India's ties in the defense, energy, and technology sector.

PM Modi would visit Singapore between 04-05 September to sign two major agreements relating to semiconductor manufacturing and digital payment between India and Singapore. Secretary (former) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Jaideep Majumdar says that the relationship between India and Singapore is ready for a big expansion.

There are rumors of some important announcements during the visit of PM Modi. India sees the possibilities of increasing cooperation with Brunei in the energy and defense sector. Brunei has started paying more attention to the defense sector in recent times and has also sent a message to India for close cooperation. Majumdar informed that talks are also going on between the two countries regarding the formation of a working group in the defense sector.

This will prove to be a direction giver for defense relations.

There is also the import of crude oil from Brunei. There also can be a possibility regarding cooperation in the sector of oil exploration. The PM will be in Singapore Wednesday and Thursday, holding talks each day with the host PM Lawrence Wong.

This will be the visit of the Indian PM to Singapore after almost six years. By undertaking a visit to Singapore at the beginning of his third term, PM Modi is hinting toward further strengthening relations between both countries. Majumdar said that in the last few years, the relations between India and Singapore have strengthened in every field.

Cooperation in the field of defence is constantly growing. The economic relations between the two nations are moving ahead towards strengthening further. A week ago, the India Singapore Ministerial Meeting was held in which the Foreign Minister, Finance Minister, Industry and Commerce Minister and IT and Electronics Minister of the Modi Cabinet went to Singapore to participate.

In fact, the whole gamut of government-to-government meeting is not held with any country by India. To quote Majumdar, "In this meeting, some new areas of future cooperation have been identified. Digitalization and advanced manufacturing are those two areas where a consensus was reached on the immense possibilities of cooperation.

India and Singapore are ready to move even further from the pace that has been gained in the last 10-15 years in their relations.'' In view of China's continuous aggressive attitude in South East Asia, the situation in these regions is considered very serious at the global level.

Especially the way China has been clearly refusing to accept the global order in the South China Sea, most of the countries have expressed their disagreement on the global platform. In such a situation, India's contact with the countries of this region is also increasing continuously.

In recent times, the Prime Ministers of Malaysia and Vietnam have visited India. After this visit of PM Modi, he is likely to visit Laos next month in October where the ASEAN summit is to be held. A separate meeting of PM Modi with ASEAN heads is possible there. In July 2024, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar participated in the ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers' meeting.