Act East Policy: PM Modi to embark on visit to Brunei, Singapore

New Delhi [India], September 2 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on two-nation visit to Brunei and Singapore from September 3-5 to to promote economic, strategic and cultural relations with the vast Asia-Pacific region at different levels.
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Brunei and Singapore, the Ministry of External Affairs shared a video on its official X handle regarding the importance of the two-nation visit which will take place from September 3-5.
This trip will not only be PM Modi's first visit to Brunei but also the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the Southeast Asian nation. The visit underscores a milestone in the 40-year diplomatic relationship between India and Brunei.
During the first leg of his visit, PM Modi will travel to Brunei, where he is scheduled to meet with Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah.
https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1830586082968342750
The Sultan previously visited India in January 2018 as a Chief Guest for the Republic Day parade and participated in the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit, the highlights of the video shared by MEA stated. PM Modi and Sultan Bolkiah last interacted during the 18th ASEAN-India Summit in October 2021 and on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Manila in November 2017.
The visit to Brunei highlights the robust relationship between the two nations, particularly in trade, defence, and cultural exchanges. Bilateral trade reached USD 286.2 million in the fiscal year 2023-24. Defence cooperation remains a cornerstone of the relationship, with regular exchanges, training, and joint exercises.
Recent visits by Indian naval vessels such as INS Jalashwa, INS Shivalik, and ICGS Samudra Paheredar emphasize strong maritime relations between India and Brunei. Moreover, cultural and people-to-people ties are also significant, with approximately 14,000 Indians residing in Brunei. Indian professionals, including doctors and teachers, have earned considerable respect and fostered goodwill for India within the Bruneian community.
During the visit, Prime Minister Modi will engage in bilateral discussions on all aspects of bilateral relations and cooperation with Brunei and explore new areas of collaboration.
Indian diaspora is deeply entrenched in Brunei, despite the country's small size and economy. He noted that there are many different communities in Brunei, including Tamilians, Malyalis, Sindhis, Punjabis, Marathas, and Gujaratis.
Brunei is an important partner in India's 'Act East' Policy and its vision for the Indo-Pacific. Following Brunei, PM Modi will head to Singapore for the second leg of his visit from September 4-5.
"This will be PM Modi's fifth visit to Singapore, having previously travelled there in 2015 and 2018. His recent meeting with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in September 2022 further solidified the close relationship between the two countries," the text in the video shared by MEA read.
"Singapore stands as India's largest trade partner in ASEAN, with bilateral trade amounting to USD 36.6 billion in 2022-23. It is also the largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into India, with FDI equity inflows totalling USD 11.774 billion. Cumulative FDI from Singapore to India since April 2000 has reached USD 159.943 billion, while India's FDI outflow to Singapore stands at USD92.051 billion," the video further added.
The two countries have collaborated extensively in various fields, including fintech, with the linkage of India's UPI and Singapore's PayNow launched in February 2023.
"Defence cooperation remains strong, with recent activities including the Defence Policy Dialogue in New Delhi in October 2023, Indian Air Force Sarang Helicopter Display Team's participation in the Singapore Air Show 2024, and the 30th SIMBEX naval exercise held in Singapore in September 2023. Additionally, skill centre projects supported by Singapore have been completed in several Indian states, and scientific collaboration continues to thrive," according to the video shared by MEA.
PM Modi will be visiting Singapore after a nearly six-year hiatus, coinciding with the new leadership of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. This timely visit aims to usher in a new era of India-Singapore relations. Singapore is India's largest trade partner in ASEAN and a leading source of foreign direct investment.
Notably, PM Modi's forthcoming visit to Brunei and Singapore is poised to further enhance the strategic, economic, and cultural ties between India and these key partners in Southeast Asia.
Brunei is an important partner in India's 'Act East' Policy and its vision of the Indo-Pacific. PM Modi's visit will further strengthen India's cooperation with Brunei in all existing sectors, including defence cooperation, trade and investment, energy, space technology, health cooperation, capacity building, culture and people-to-people exchanges and explore avenues for cooperation in newer sectors, the MEA press release stated.
On August 26, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw participated in the second India-Singapore Ministerial Dialogue (ISMR).
The two nations explored cooperation in digital, skill development, sustainability, healthcare, connectivity and advanced manufacturing.