Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Visit to Brunei and Singapore from September 3rd to 5th, 2024.
First Stop – Brunei: September 3rd and 4th, invited by Brunei’s Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah.
- Significance: This is the first-ever bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Brunei, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of India-Brunei diplomatic relations.
- Key Discussions: Focus on bilateral cooperation in defense, trade, investment, energy, space technology, health, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.
- Indian Diaspora: About 14,000 Indian nationals reside in Brunei, significantly contributing to Brunei’s economy, especially in health and education sectors.
- Strategic Importance: Brunei is a key partner in India’s ‘Act East’ Policy and Indo-Pacific vision.
Second Stop – Singapore: September 4th and 5th, invited by Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
- Key Focus: Reviewing the India-Singapore Strategic Partnership, discussing regional and global issues.
- Significance of Visit: Prime Minister Modi’s first visit to Singapore in nearly six years, coinciding with a leadership change in Singapore.
- Strategic Partnership: Strong defense ties, increasing trade and investment flows. Singapore is India’s largest trade partner in ASEAN and a major source of foreign direct investment.
Q.: PM Modi visits Singapore on September 4th and 5th, 2024. Who is Singapore’s Prime Minister?
A) Lee Hsien Loong
B) Halimah Yacob
C) Lawrence Wong
D) Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Answer: C) Lawrence Wong
