PM Modi meets Singapore counterpart Wong; ties elevated to comprehensive strategic partnership

Singapore: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held a productive meeting with his Singapore counterpart Lawrence Wong during which they elevated the bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Modi is here on a two-day visit at the invitation of Wong.

Ahead of the talks with Wong, Modi received a red carpet-welcome at the Singapore Parliament House. He also signed the visitor's book there.

"A new chapter in - ties: Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established. PM @narendramodi and PM @LawrenceWongST held a productive meeting in Singapore today," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X after the meeting.

"The leaders agreed to elevate the - ties to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. They extensively reviewed various facets of the bilateral relationship covering areas of Advanced Manufacturing, Connectivity, Digitalisation, Healthcare & Medicine, Skills Development and Sustainability," he said.

The meeting between the two leaders comes months after Wong took over as premier and Modi began his third term as prime minister.

The two leaders also oversaw the exchange of four MoUs after the talks. Later in the day, Prime Minister Modi will also call on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

He would call on Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong. Lee will host a lunch for Modi.

Modi will also meet with Singaporean business leaders and interact with those in the country’s semiconductor ecosystem.

Modi and Wong will also visit a semiconductor manufacturing facility.

Modi flew to Singapore on Wednesday after wrapping his visit to Brunei, the first bilateral visit there by an Indian prime minister.

He was accorded a warm welcome by the Indian community on his arrival here.