Rajasthan

• 26 Mar 2024

Singapore President Arrives in Jodhpur

Why in News?

Recently, Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam arrived in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur. His visit to India comes at a time when External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is on a visit to Singapore.

• Indian-origin economist, Tharman Shanmugaratnam was sworn in as the 9th Singapore President in September 2023.

Key Points

• According to the sources, the External Affairs Minister started his Singapore visit by paying homage to Subhash Chandra Bose and the brave Indian National Army soldiers.
  • He also engaged in discussions with prominent corporate figures from the country who offered positive feedback on India’s growth story derived from their investment experiences.
• According to the High Commission of India in Singapore, the ties between India and Singapore have a history rooted in strong commercial, cultural and people-to-people links. India was one of the first countries to recognise Singapore in 1965.
  • The relations between India and Singapore are based on shared values and approaches, economic opportunities and convergence of interests on key issues.
  • There are more than 20 regular bilateral mechanisms, dialogues and exercises.
  • The two nations have great convergence on a broad range of international issues and both are members of a number of forums, including the East Asia Summit, G20, the Commonwealth, Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS).

Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)

• It is an intergovernmental organisation established to promote economic cooperation and regional integration among countries bordering the Indian Ocean.
• IORA member states work on various initiatives related to trade, investment, and sustainable development in the Indian Ocean region (IOR).

Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS)

• The IONS is a voluntary and inclusive initiative that brings together navies of IOR littoral states to increase maritime co-operation and enhance regional security.
• It also serves to develop an effective response mechanism and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) against natural disasters.