Singapore: External Affairs Minister S M
Krishna today met Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
and discussed with him ways to strengthen bilateral relations,
especially trade ties.
Krishna, who is here for a regular high-level
consultation, arrived on Tuesday at the invitation of
Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo.
During his two-day visit here, Krishna is scheduled to
meet top officials of the Singapore government including
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, Senior Minister and Coordinating
Minister for National Security Professor S Jayakumar, and
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean.
Among the key issues to be taken up during his
deliberations with the top officials is strengthening of trade
ties through further relaxation of trade procedures.
Indian and Singaporean officials are set to review the
2005 Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA),
aiming to further relaxing bilateral trade procedures.
The CECA review, preliminary work on which has already
started, would be officially launched in New Delhi during
Singapore`s Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang visits
within April or May, Indian High Commissioner here Dr T C A
Raghavan said.
Krishna is also scheduled to visit the Nalanda-Sriwijaya
Centre at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
Commenting on Krishna`s visit, Raghavan said "the
high-level ministerial visits are a regular feature between
India and Singapore on updating the two countries on the
global economic scenarios as well as bilateral issues."
-PTI
