According to ANI (India), Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Brunei on September 3-4 and then Singapore (September 4-5), Indian Deputy Foreign Minister Jaideep Mazumdar said at a press conference on September 2.
 |
| Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Source: PTI) |
Mr. Jaideep Mazumdar noted that the upcoming visit will be the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Brunei. The visit coincides with the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. For Singapore, this is the first visit in six years, looking forward to the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2025.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the invitation of Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, is scheduled to visit Brunei Darussalam from September 3-4. He will then travel to Singapore at the invitation of Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. The visit is scheduled from September 4-5,” Mazumdar said.
Exploring New India-Brunei Cooperation
During the visit, the Prime Minister will engage in discussions on all aspects of bilateral cooperation with Brunei and will also explore new areas of cooperation. “We share very warm and friendly relations with Brunei and our engagements are in various areas such as defence, trade and investment, energy, space, technology, health, capacity building, culture and vibrant people-to-people exchanges,” the Indian Deputy Minister of External Affairs said.
Brunei is home to about 14,000 Indians, who work in professions such as doctors and teachers. Indians in Brunei are widely respected and admired for their contributions to the country's economy and society.
India receives valuable support from Brunei in its space programme and the two sides have three Memoranda of Understanding in this area. India set up a remote command and tracking station in Brunei in 2000. The station tracks and supervises all satellite launches and launch vehicles east of the country.
Defence is another important pillar of bilateral cooperation. India and Brunei signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation in 2016 and renewed it in 2021. The MoU provides a framework for cooperation such as regular high-level exchanges, exchange visits of coast guard and navy ships, joint training and exercises, and participation in each other’s exhibitions. Both sides are working towards establishing a joint working group in this area.
Presenting India's Growth Story Live in Singapore
Regarding Singapore, Mr. Mazumdar said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Lion City is important for trade and investment. According to him, "Singapore is India's largest trading partner in ASEAN. It was the leading source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the last financial year. Singapore is India's sixth largest trading partner worldwide."
Prime Minister Modi will also address business leaders. “Since 2000, we have accumulated $160 billion in FDI. The Prime Minister will meet and address CEOs during his visit. They will hear first-hand about India’s growth story,” Mazumdar said.
Today, India-Singapore trade relations are growing steadily. The two countries have strong defence cooperation and growing cultural and educational exchanges. The two sides have identified new anchors for their partnership during the India-Singapore ministerial roundtable. The visit will also take place in the context of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership between the two countries in 2025.
Prime Minister Modi is expected to witness the exchange of the memorandum of understanding in Singapore.
In addition, Prime Minister Modi and the host country's leaders will also discuss maritime security issues.
According to Deputy Minister Mazumdar, the two countries have similar views on maritime security and safety.
“You all know India’s position on the South China Sea. In the case of Singapore too, it is important for them to maintain safe, secure and free sea lines of communication,” he said.
At the same time, he also stressed that the situation in the neighbouring region and in neighbouring countries has always been discussed during Prime Minister Modi's bilateral visits.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/thu-tuong-an-do-cong-du-brunei-va-singapore-reveals-moi-quan-tam-moi-cua-new-delhi-o-khu-vuc-284810.html
Comment (0)