First India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable held; ministers discuss fintech, investment opportunities

New Delhi [India], September 17 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday took part in a Ministerial Roundtable with their Singapore counterparts here and discussed ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries in emerging and futuristic areas.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in a tweet that both sides deliberated upon several issues including financial sector operations, fintech, regulatory cooperation and investment opportunities.

This was maiden meeting of the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR), a new ministerial platform between the two countries to boost economic cooperation. The ISMR seeks to deepen existing cooperation and identify opportunities for mutually-beneficial collaboration in new and emerging areas.

Singapore delegation at the ISMR was led by the country's Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who is also Minister for Finance.

"During the meeting, the leaders emphasised ways of enhancing co-operation between India and Singapore in emerging and futuristic areas. Both sides deliberated upon wide range of issues which inter alia included Financial Sector Operations, Fintech, Regulatory Cooperation, Investment Opportunities and Current Economic Arrangements," Sitharaman said in tweets.

Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong and Transport and Trade relations Minister S Iswaran were part of the Singapore delegation.

Jaishankar said there was a freewheeling discussion on the possibilities and prospects of our ties in the coming decade.

"An open and freewheeling discussion on the possibilities and prospects of our ties in the coming decade. Considerable food for thought. Look forward to our next session. "Delighted to participate in the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable along with FM @nsitharaman & CIM @PiyushGoyal.. Our Singapore counterparts were @LawrenceWongST, @VivianBala, , Trade & Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong and Transport & Trade relations Minister S. Iswaran," he said in tweets.

"Joined by Industry leaders from India and Singapore who were holding a Business Roundtable in parallel. Appreciated their insights and ideas. Refreshing our relationship is truly a shared enterprise," he added.

Lawrence Wong is in India from September 17 to 21, his first official visit to India after holding office.

He will travel to Gujarat on September 18, 2022, where he will meet Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel and visit Gujarat International Finance City. He will be accompanied by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Finance.

India and Singapore have a close bilateral relationship based on the convergence of economic and political interests. The economic reforms in India since the early 1990s created a strong basis for cooperation with Singapore, opening up possibilities for a significant presence in each other's economies. (ANI)

Source: WORLD