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22nd January 2020 @ Swissotel the Stamford, Singapore

(From l to r): MP Mr Gan Thiam Poh; H.E. Jawed Ashraf, Minister Ong Ye Kung and MP Ms Jessica Tan

IN his welcome address India’s High Commissioner to Singapore, HE Jawed Ashraf, also highlighted that “ASEAN will be in the centre of our vision for the Indo-Pacific region. and that Singapore will always be integral for every endeavour of ours.” He said this was most evident when last September “We hosted here the region’s first business and innovation summit in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second term with 4,000 participants, more than a hundred speakers and a very large startup exhibition from India and Singapore.”

Another sign of the closeness in ties was in the last six months there have been 12 ministerial visits by Singapore to India. These included two visits by Singapore’s Minister for Education Mr Ong Ye Kung who was also the Guest of Honour, representing the Singapore Government for the Republic Day reception. He was accompanied by his parliamentary colleagues Ms Jessica Tan and Mr Gan Thiam Poh. Rear-Admiral Lew Chuen Hong, Chief of Navy was also among the 1,500 friends of India, the Indian diaspora and Singaporeans who came to celebrate the event. This year’s Republic Day also marks the last time the Indian High Commissioner will be hosting the event as he is slated to move to his new post as India’s Ambassador to France later this year.

Minister Ong and High Commissioner Jawed Ashraf admiring rangoli floor art considered auspicious during special occasions

Congratulatory Letter
In Prime Minister’s Lee Hsien Loong’s letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occassion of India’s 71st Republic Day of India, he congratulated the Indian leader and paid tribute: “India has and continues to take great strides forward under your leadership. Your efforts to transform India, with her immense size and complexity, should fill every

Indian citizen with pride and hope for the future. “I am happy to note that our bilateral relations are strong. We have kept up high-level exchanges with ministerial visits across different portfolios. Collectively, these point to a robust relationship, which we should build on.”