South Asia

Over the past few months, a number of important bilateral initiatives were formalised between Singapore and countries in South Asia. During Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz's visit in May, Pakistan and Singapore formally endorsed the proposal to sign a joint declaration with ASEAN on cooperation in combating terrorism. Both countries also reaffirmed their commitment to conclude a Free Trade Agreement as soon as possible. In June, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited India to sign the landmark Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement. A couple of months later, in August, Singapore signed an Open Skies Agreement with Sri Lanka. Where ties between Singapore and South Asia are concerned, significant strides have indeed been made.