EAM Jaishankar meets Singapore foreign minister, strengthens India-Singapore strategic ties

India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, arrived in Singapore on Friday and held discussions with Singapore’s Foreign Minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, to review the progress of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations. The leaders also exchanged views on key regional and global developments.

In a post on X, Jaishankar highlighted their conversation on strategic areas and reaffirmed the commitment to enhancing India-Singapore relations.

Earlier, Jaishankar met with Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister, Gan Kim Yong, to focus on advancing bilateral cooperation in industrial parks, innovation, and semiconductor development.

Jaishankar also addressed the ASEAN-India Network of Think Tanks at its 8th Roundtable, reiterating India’s dedication to ASEAN centrality as part of its broader engagement in the Indo-Pacific and with the Quad.

ASEAN, comprising ten nations—Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam—remains a focal point of India’s Act East Policy, strengthening its economic and strategic ties across Southeast Asia.

Jaishankar’s visit to Singapore comes shortly after Singapore’s Defence Minister, Dr. Ng Eng Hen, visited India, where he co-chaired the India-Singapore Defence Ministers’ Dialogue with India’s Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh. Both countries emphasized their shared commitment to regional security, with Singapore underscoring India’s key role in regional stability and its importance in the Act East Policy.

Jaishankar’s visit to Singapore is part of a two-nation tour. He visited Australia from November 3 to November 7.

(Inputs from ANI)