Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam landed in New Delhi on Tuesday evening for his maiden State Visit to India as President of the island nation, as both nations commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada welcomed the visiting Head of State at the airport.
During his visit from January 14 to 18, Shanmugaratnam will meet with President Droupadi Murmu, who will also organise a banquet in his honour.
He will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after receiving a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhawan’s forecourt on Thursday, accompanied by a high-level entourage that includes ministers, members of parliament, and officials.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and numerous other Indian dignitaries are set to meet with President Tharman on Wednesday, who will also visit Odisha from January 17 to 18.
“India and Singapore have a long history of friendship, trust, and mutual respect that underpins their considerable partnership. President Tharman’s visit is expected to give additional impetus to bilateral relations, which were elevated to the level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s visit to Singapore in September 2024,” according to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.
Prime Minister Modi recently praised the progress made in bilateral collaboration in a wide range of forward-looking topics.
“My visit to Singapore was quite successful. It will undoubtedly strengthen bilateral ties and benefit the people of both countries. “I thank the government and people of Singapore for their warmth,” PM Modi wrote on X after his two-day visit in September 2024.
During their previous meeting, Tharman and PM Modi reaffirmed their longstanding friendship and discussed India’s potential as a leading growth centre over the next decade, driven by both social and digital investments across the country’s population, as well as new economic ties.
Read More
Trump says he’s ‘believer in H-1B’ visas; quashes resistance to the program
EAM Jaishankar to visit the US ahead of Trump’s second term