Singapore joins India as Indo-Pacific partner

NEW DELHI: Even as 'vaccine diplomacy' continues to strengthen India's ties with its neighbours and key partner countries, the Narendra Modi government continues to make significant progress in expanding existing partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region to shape a new regional order. The signing of the Implementing Agreement on Submarine Rescue Support and Cooperation between the two Navies during the fifth India–Singapore Defence Ministers' Dialogue (DMD) held virtually between Rajnath Singh and his Singaporean counterpart Dr Ng Eng Hen today will result in a substantial increase in bilateral cooperation and defence partnership built over the years.

India has maintained that it does not see the Indo-Pacific region "as a strategy or as a club of limited members or as a grouping that seeks to dominate" and that "it is not directed against any country but stands for "a free, open and inclusive region". However, the fast-changing power dynamics in the region, including the revival of Quad, has seen many countries cement their ties with India, a country which has always had an "independent" foreign policy.

India and France, during their annual Strategic Dialogue held earlier this month, had also extensively discussed cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

With India batting for a stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific, the defence and security engagements between India and Singapore have broadened significantly in scale and scope across all three Services of the Armed Forces as well as in the areas of defence technology and industry. Both countries have also found common ground on multilateral fora and engagements.

The Joint Statement released by both the countries after the DMD reaffirmed both countries' commitment to strengthen defence cooperation. Both Ministers recognised the positive trajectory of bilateral defence relations that has expanded into new areas of cooperation, such as in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and cybersecurity.

The Indian Navy and Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) successfully conducted the 27th edition of Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) and also participated in the second edition of the Singapore-India-Thailand Maritime Exercise (SITMEX) in November 2020. These exercises not only enhanced inter-operability amongst the navies but also underscored the shared responsibility of the countries to work together to keep sea lines of communications open. (IANS)

Also Read: Two million vax doses from India reach Dhaka airport

Also Watch: Guwahati Municipal Workers Threaten to Stop Water Supply