Jaishankar discusses new domains on cooperation with Singapore’s Trade Minister

India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, today held a meeting with Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry, Gan Kim Yong. The discussions between these two leaders revolved around exploring new areas of cooperation that could have significant and long-lasting implications.

“It was a pleasure to meet with Trade & Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong this morning. Our discussions were focused on identifying new domains of cooperation that can have far-reaching consequences. We look forward to further developing these ideas during the upcoming ISMR meeting.”, Jaishankar expressed on his X (formerly Twitter) handle.

India and Singapore share a historical relationship that was elevated to a Strategic Partnership in 2015. In 2023, both countries engaged in several ministerial interactions during the G20 summit hosted by India, where Singapore participated as a guest country, as per a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) press release.

During his visit, Jaishankar will also meet with his Singaporean counterpart and other top leaders of the country. Additionally, he will preside over the regional conference of Indian Heads of Missions.

On Thursday, he chaired the regional conference of ASEAN and East Asia Ambassadors in Singapore. The discussions during this conference focused on assessing the regional situation and its potential implications for India. Jaishankar is currently on an official visit to Singapore from October 19 to 20.

Notably, the relationship between India and Singapore is built on shared values and approaches, economic opportunities, and a convergence of interests on key issues. Both countries are members of various international forums, including the East Asia Summit, G20, Commonwealth, Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), and Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS).

Before his visit to Singapore, Jaishankar was on an official visit to Vietnam from October 15 to 18, at the invitation of Vietnam’s Foreign Minister, Bui Thanh Son. During this visit, EAM Jaishankar called on Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and also held discussions with the Chairman of the External Relations Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Le Hoai Trung.

The two ministers jointly presided over the 18th India-Vietnam Joint Commission Meeting, where the primary emphasis was on economic, trade, scientific, and technological collaboration. They conducted a comprehensive assessment of the advancements made in the India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, encompassing various areas of bilateral cooperation.