S'pore PM to travel to India, Mukherjee's visit likely soon

Singapore, Aug 15: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will visit India in October while President Pranab Mukherjee's trip to the city-state is also on the cards in the near future, it was announced here today.

In a congratulatory message on India's 70th Independence Day, President Tony Tan Keng Yam said he looks forward to receiving his Indian counterpart Mukherjee in Singapore in the near future.

"With fond memories of the warm hospitality extended to my delegation when I visited India last February, I look forward to receiving Your Excellency in Singapore in the near future," said Tan in the message to President Mukherjee.

In a separate congratulatory message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lee said he looks forward to visiting India in October. "I look forward to meeting you again when I visit India in October to explore new avenues of cooperation," he said.

"Singapore and India share a longstanding friendship underpinned by strong historical, commercial, cultural and kinship ties."

The India-Singapore Strategic Partnership signed during your visit to Singapore last November is a further sign of our excellent relations," Lee said in his message to Modi.

It also provides a roadmap for cooperation in many fields: trade and investment, skills development, defence cooperation, and Smart Cities, he said, adding: "I am confident that our bilateral ties will continue to grow and deepen."

Extending heartfelt congratulations, President Tan reaffirmed strong bilateral relations. "Relations between Singapore and India remain strong and look set to grow despite challenges in the global economy.

"As our people-to-people relations flourish, I am delighted by the excellent progress in bilateral projects and initiatives on various fronts including trade, skills development, defence cooperation, and Smart Cities development," said Tan.

The India-Singapore Strategic Partnership, together with other bilateral agreements, will create new opportunities for collaboration and elevate the bilateral relationship to a higher level, said Tan.

PTI