India and Singapore convened the 19th round of Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi on Thursday, where both sides undertook a comprehensive review of the progress achieved under the eight priority areas outlined in the Roadmap for the India-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. 

The consultations also provided an opportunity to exchange perspectives on pressing regional and global developments.

The Indian delegation was led by Rudrendra Tandon, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, while the Singaporean side was headed by Luke Goh, Permanent Secretary (Policy) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The discussions reaffirmed the importance of maintaining close coordination at international and regional platforms, particularly ASEAN, to address shared challenges and uphold stability in the Indo-Pacific.

India-Singapore relations were elevated to the level of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Singapore in September 2024. Since then, the partnership has expanded across multiple domains, with the Roadmap serving as a guiding framework for cooperation. 

The Roadmap was formally launched during the visit of Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to India in September 2025, and it encompasses eight key areas: economic cooperation, skills development, digitalisation, sustainability, connectivity, healthcare and medicine, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and defence and security cooperation.

During his visit to India, Permanent Secretary Luke Goh held meetings with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and Dr Rajiv Mani, Secretary of the Legislative Department in the Ministry of Law and Justice.

These engagements further strengthened institutional ties and provided avenues to explore new areas of collaboration. In his meeting with Foreign Secretary Misri, Goh discussed advancing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and exchanged views on regional and global developments.

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar shared highlights of his discussions with Goh in a post on X, noting that the dialogue focused on close engagement and new opportunities in manufacturing, technology, food security, and energy flows.

These areas are increasingly significant as both nations seek to build resilient supply chains and sustainable growth models in the face of global uncertainties.

The consultations underscored the shared commitment of India and Singapore to deepen cooperation under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership program.

The emphasis on innovation, sustainability, and connectivity reflects the evolving priorities of both nations as they adapt to emerging challenges in the regional and global order. The meeting also reinforced the importance of ASEAN-led mechanisms in fostering a rules-based, inclusive, and stable Indo-Pacific security architecture.

The 19th round of consultations highlighted the steady progress made since the elevation of ties in 2024 and the launch of the Roadmap in 2025. Both sides expressed confidence that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will continue to expand, delivering tangible benefits across economic, technological, cultural, and security domains, while contributing to regional peace and prosperity.

ANI