Singapore President Tharman on India tour from today, will meet President Murmu-PM Modi
India-Singapore: Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam is arriving in India on Tuesday on a five-day visit. The purpose of his visit is to give new impetus to relations between the two countries. This is Tharman's first visit to India as the President of Singapore.
Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam is coming on a state visit to India today. The Ministry of External Affairs has given this information in a statement. His visit is taking place on the occasion of the completion of 60 years of diplomatic relations between India and Singapore. This visit is expected to take India-Singapore relations to new heights. During this, the focus will be on non-traditional areas such as energy, industrial parks, and skill development.
The Ministry of External Affairs said that during this time he will also be accompanied by a high-level delegation including ministers, members of Parliament, and officials. This will be Tharman Shanmugaratnam's first visit to India as the President of Singapore. According to the statement of the Ministry of External Affairs, during his visit to India, Tharman will also meet President Murmu and PM Modi. Tharman will be formally welcomed at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 16. During his visit, Tharman will hold discussions with President Draupadi Murmu, who will also host a banquet in his honor.
He will also visit Odisha from January 17 to 18. According to the Singapore Foreign Minister, CM Majhi will also host an official dinner for Tharman. The President of Singapore will also visit the World Skills Center, which was set up by Singapore's Institute of Technical Education Education Services (ITEES) with funding from the Asian Development Bank. Along with this, he will also visit a vaccine manufacturing plant operated by Bharat Biotech.
The ministry said that India and Singapore have extensive cooperation based on a long tradition of friendship, trust, and mutual respect. President Tharman's visit is expected to give further impetus to bilateral relations. Tharman's state visit will also mark the beginning of the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Singapore. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and several other Indian dignitaries will meet President Shanmugaratnam.
The coming year can be said to be a marked one for bilateral relations between India and Singapore for the many events falling due on its account. Coming later this year is the turn of Singapore PM Lawrence Wong. Regular ministerial round-table meetings between India and Singapore are awaited after a gap of a few months. According to the Indian High Commission in Singapore, following the ministerial meeting last year, India-Singapore relations were upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and PM Narendra Modi's visit to Singapore in September 2024.
PM Modi visited Singapore earlier in September 2024. During this, the Prime Minister also met the President of Singapore, Tharman Shanmugaratnam. The PM held talks with him on key areas such as skill development, sustainability, technology, innovation, and connectivity. During their discussion, the talks between the leaders of the two countries pertained to the entire gamut of bilateral relations between India and Singapore.
