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India & Singapore: serving as gateways for common markets
Singapore, July 14: India should view Singapore as a gateway for expanding into ASEAN, especially in sectors such as tourism, health and software, given Singapore`s locational advantage and close linkages in Southeast Asia, an officially-sponsored study said.
Singapore, July 14: India should view Singapore as a gateway for expanding into ASEAN, especially in sectors such as tourism, health and software, given Singapore's locational advantage and close linkages in Southeast Asia, an officially-sponsored study said.
Singapore, on the other hand, could benefit by entering into agreements in select service sectors with interested state governments in India given the size of the two countries and the quasi-federal structure of the Indian government, it said.
The report has been made by a joint study group set up by governments of the two sides to explore trade potential and areas of mutual cooperation in goods, services, investment and other trade related areas.
Corroborating it, Singapore's senior minister of state for trade and industry Tharman Shanmugaratnam, told visiting Indian journalists in an interaction here, that the business traffic between India and Singapore was growing immensely.
Singapore, he said, could also play an important role as a linkage between India-ASEAN-China. "Singapore could serve not just a trade intermediary but also a knowledge-based sector," he said.
It was in April, 2002 when Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee met his Singapore counterpart Goh Chok Tong here that it was agreed upon to set up a joint study group to look into the benefits of an India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).
And when the Singapore premier visited India in April this year, a declaration of intent to conclude a CECA within 12-18 months was signed.
Bureau Report
Singapore, on the other hand, could benefit by entering into agreements in select service sectors with interested state governments in India given the size of the two countries and the quasi-federal structure of the Indian government, it said.
The report has been made by a joint study group set up by governments of the two sides to explore trade potential and areas of mutual cooperation in goods, services, investment and other trade related areas.
Corroborating it, Singapore's senior minister of state for trade and industry Tharman Shanmugaratnam, told visiting Indian journalists in an interaction here, that the business traffic between India and Singapore was growing immensely.
Singapore, he said, could also play an important role as a linkage between India-ASEAN-China. "Singapore could serve not just a trade intermediary but also a knowledge-based sector," he said.
It was in April, 2002 when Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee met his Singapore counterpart Goh Chok Tong here that it was agreed upon to set up a joint study group to look into the benefits of an India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).
And when the Singapore premier visited India in April this year, a declaration of intent to conclude a CECA within 12-18 months was signed.
Bureau Report