Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed on a historic visit to Brunei on Tuesday, marking the first-ever visit by an Indian head of state to the island nation despite 40 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Following his visit to Brunei, PM Modi will head to Singapore for a two-day visit from September 4 to September 5, during which he will hold talks with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Ahead of the Prime Minster's departure, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar deemed the time "ripe" for the visit.
"Given the transformation underway in India and the changes in the world, they need to become more contemporary. In many ways, that is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chosen to visit Singapore so early in his third term,” said Jaishankar, according to news agency PTI.
Before embarking on the two-nation tour, the Prime Minister said in a statement on X, "Over the next two days, I will be visiting Brunei Darussalam and Singapore. During the various engagements in these nations, the focus will be on further deepening India’s ties with them."
PM Modi’s visit to Brunei follows an invitation from His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. The visit aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation across various sectors, including defence, trade, energy, and space technology.
Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary (East) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that India and Brunei are working towards establishing a "joint working group in defence."
“India-Brunei Darussalam diplomatic ties complete 40 glorious years. I look forward to meeting His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah,” the Prime Minister tweeted ahead of his departure.
PM Modi's trip to Singapore is his first in nearly six years and comes early in his third term as Prime Minister. The MEA said the visit comes at a crucial time, with a new leader in Singapore, offering an opportunity to further enhance bilateral relations.
“New anchors of our partnership have been identified under the India-Singapore ministerial roundtable framework,” said Jaideep Mazumdar, MEA, during a press briefing.
He noted that the ties between the two nations have “evolved,” citing steady growth in trade and investment, robust defence cooperation, and increasing cultural and educational exchanges.
Mazumdar said recent discussions during the India-Singapore ministerial roundtable focused on futuristic areas of cooperation, including digitization, sustainability, health, and advanced manufacturing. Several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) are expected to be exchanged during Modi’s visit, particularly in areas like food security, renewables, green hydrogen, and semiconductors.
“I would particularly single out those technologies promising for the future, such as semiconductors, green technologies and electric mobility. We also need to collaboratively think about the future of connectivity and energy flows,” Jaishankar, too, stressed ahead of the visit.
Singapore is India’s largest trade partner within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and a significant source of foreign direct investment (FDI). During the last financial year, Singapore was India’s largest source of FDI, valued at $11.77 billion.
PM Modi’s itinerary in Singapore also includes an interactive session with CEOs and business leaders. Discussions are expected to touch on regional issues, including the South China Sea and Myanmar.
PM Modi’s visit to the two nations also aligns with India’s 'Act East' Policy, aimed at forging and strengthening relations with Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region.
