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Since then, Singapore has had close economic ties, security cooperation and cultural exchange with India. Singapore is located on the militarily important Strait of Malacca, giving it immense strategic importance to India. This has led to considerable naval cooperation between India and Singapore. Singapore has also increased India's importance in the region by conducting several joint SIMBAX (Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise) warfare exercises in the Indian Ocean with the Indian Navy. SIMBAX has expanded significantly from anti-submarine warfare exercises to infantry and air defense.
In 2023, India and Singapore jointly hosted the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Yudh Abhyas. Singapore has allowed the Indian Navy to use its ports during emergencies. This facility enables the Indian Navy to operate in Singapore in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean.
Singapore serves as a bridge for India with the rest of the ASEAN member countries in trade, counter-terrorism, maritime security, diplomatic agreements and technology exchanges. Another major importance of Singapore for India is that it is located on the world's most important east-west trade route. All commercial ships from Asia to Western countries and Canada, America pass through here. The relationship between the two has become more close after the signing of the Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA 2005) between the two countries. Singapore is one of the top five countries investing in India's technology, real estate and infrastructure sectors. Especially in the development of software technology, Singapore has no match. This cooperation can make Singapore and India leaders of digital technology in the world. In 2021, India and Singapore shared their digital payment system.
Due to this, both the countries use each other's credit and debit cards, through which a certain amount of purchase and sale can be done daily.
The two countries have significantly increased their partnership in the field of FinTech (software and mobile apps used to do business). This has made Singapore a central hub for Indian companies wishing to expand their business in the Southeast, who can expand their business by setting up offices here. Even during the Corona epidemic, both the countries helped each other wholeheartedly.
Singapore had sent essential medicines and oxygen cylinders to India on a large scale and India had sent vaccines to Singapore on priority basis. Singapore has a good influence in the world due to its great economic power. It has close relations with China and America due to which India has been getting diplomatic benefits from time to time, especially with China. Apart from this, Singapore has a stable government due to which there is no threat to the agreements made with it.
Brunei is a small country (5765 sq km) located on the island of Borneo, which borders Malaysia on three sides and the sea on one side. It is an Islamic country but other religions are given complete freedom here. Its total population is about 465000 in which 82% are Sunni Muslims, 7% Christians, 6.3% Buddhists and the rest are followers of other religions. It was founded in 1368 by Sultan Muhammad Shah Bolkhia. On 17 September 1888, it came under British rule, from which it got independence on 1 January 1984.
Since independence, its reins are in the hands of Sultan Hassan Bolkhia who is a very welfare king. There is no parliament in Brunei and all the powers are with the Sultan. Due to its oil and natural gas reserves, it is the fifth richest country in the world after Luxembourg, Macau, Ireland and Singapore. Sultan Hassan Bolkhia's Rolls Royce car is made of solid gold. Taxes in Brunei are almost nominal. Housing, education and medical facilities are provided to the citizens absolutely free of cost. Singapore is a city-state located on an island near Malaysia. Its area is 735 square km. Which is almost half of Delhi (1484 square km).
It got independence from England on 9 August 1965. When this country became independent, it used to be one of the poorest countries in the world. But under the leadership of honest and efficient leaders, it progressed rapidly and now it is the fourth richest country in the world. The biggest reason for its growth is that like Dubai, it is also a tax free country.
Seeing this, companies from all over the world were attracted to it and now hundreds of international companies have their headquarters here, which have invested billions of dollars in Singapore. It is at the top in the field of education, health facilities, standard of living, security and infrastructure. Singapore is a country with a parliamentary system like India. The President is the head of the country but the real powers lie with the Prime Minister. Its population is 74% Chinese, 13% Malaysian, 9% Indian and the rest are mixed people. English, Malaysian, Chinese and Tamil are the accepted official languages here, but most of the official work is done in English. Its current Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is Chinese, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon are of Indian origin.