Singapore president Shanmugaratnam to visit India
The president of Singapore, Tharman Shanmugaratnam is beginning a four-day visit to India today, which will last from January 15th to January 18th.
This visit is the beginning of a series of meetings meant to celebrate six decades of India-Singapore relations, with President Murmu expected to conduct a similar visit to Singapore later this year. Important events during this visit include meetings with high-ranking Indian officials, including President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, discussions about increased cooperation in the field of semiconductors, and discussions about the ongoing civil war in Myanmar, which is approaching its fourth year.
Although the two nations are already close trading partners, expanding their partnership into increasingly important fields like semiconductors shows that the relationship is evolving to meet the demands of modern trade. The bulk of these talks will take place in Odisha, which is quickly becoming a hub for semiconductor production. India continues to invest heavily in this industry as it works towards self-reliance in semiconductor production, which could benefit Singapore too, hence the discussions on this visit. With regards to the ongoing conflict in Myanmar, Singapore blocked the sale of weapons to the military junta last year, which resulted in gains for rebel fighters. India also offered support for rebel forces, inviting them to New Delhi last year. Since both nations appear to have adopted the stance of indirect support for the rebel cause, they will likely discuss ways to continue this stance in the near future as the war rages on.
