NEW DELHI, MARCH 07, 2025 – India and Singapore held their 18th round of Foreign Office Consultations on March 7, 2025, in Singapore, marking a significant milestone in the two nations' decades-long partnership.
The Indian delegation was led by Shri Jaideep Muzumdar, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, while the Singaporean side was headed by Mr. Luke Goh, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The co-chairs of the consultations reviewed the entirety of India-Singapore bilateral and multilateral cooperation, as well as regional and global matters of mutual interest.
The discussion focused on the six pillars of cooperation identified during the two rounds of India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable, which include Digitalization, Skills Development, Sustainability, Healthcare & Medicine, Advanced Manufacturing and Connectivity. The sides also explored bilateral cooperation in areas such as defence, trade, investments, culture, and People-to-People exchanges.
Both nations discussed the roadmap for implementing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Singapore, announced during Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's visit to Singapore in September 2024. This partnership aims to strengthen economic ties, enhance political cooperation, and promote cultural exchange between the two countries.
As India and Singapore celebrate the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations this year, the 18th meeting of this dialogue mechanism was timely for reviewing the progress of outcomes from recent high-level exchanges and setting the agenda for exchanges and cooperation in this special year.
Both sides agreed to convene the next round of India-Singapore Foreign Office Consultations in India at mutually convenient dates. The visit also saw Secretary (East) engaging with key stakeholders, including Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Permanent Secretary Dr. Beh Swan Gin, and scholars and academics from the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore.
The successful consultations demonstrate the strong foundation of India-Singapore cooperation, built over six decades of diplomatic engagement. The two nations look forward to continuing their fruitful dialogue and exploring new avenues for collaboration in the years to come.