External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday emphasised that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Brunei and Singapore is a significant advancement in India's Act East policy, reflecting a deepening of diplomatic and economic ties with these Southeast Asian nations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Singapore on Wednesday, marking the beginning of a significant second leg of his two-day nation visit. He is slated to hold numerous engagements in the city-state on Thursday as well.
Later this evening, the Prime Minister of Singapore, in a special gesture, will be hosting Prime Minister for a private dinner according to Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal.
Sharing a post on his X handle, Jaiswal said, "This visit is important as it gives a major push to India's Act East policy to India's vision of the Indo-Pacific to India-Singapore economic ties and to India-Singapore technological ties. All these are very important for both countries."
"We have centuries old cultural ties. Our cultural tradition is the basis of our friendship. Under your leadership, our ties have grown stronger day by day," PM Modi said.
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Singapore, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted the significant progress made in India's relationship with Gulf nations over the past decade.
"Beyond the bilateral, there is also the issue of closer collaboration in a volatile and uncertain world. In this regard, we must recognise that ours is a partnership based on a high degree of trust and understanding," Jaishankar said.
The Indian community in Brunei is abuzz with excitement as they prepare to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his maiden visit to the Southeast Asian nation, scheduled for September 3-4. The visit is seen as a significant step in bolstering ties between the two nations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on two-nation visit to Brunei and Singapore from September 3-5 to to promote economic, strategic and cultural relations with the vast Asia-Pacific region at different levels.