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India, Singapore discuss ties at Joint Ministerial Committee meet (Lead)

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New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) Strategic partners India and Singapore on Tuesday reviewed bilateral ties at the fifth Joint Ministerial Committee meeting here between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Singapore counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan.

The two leaders discussed a wide range of bilateral issues of shared interests and mutual concerns, the External Affairs Ministry (EAM) said in a statement.

There are five areas of cooperation to enhance bilateral relations: scale up trade and investment; speed up connectivity; smart cities and urban rejuvenation; skill development; and state focus.

“In particular, they reviewed the upcoming high level exchanges, commemoration of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of ASEAN and 25 years of India-ASEAN dialogue partnership, cooperation in political, defence and security fields, trade and investment, cooperation in tourism and culture, connectivity, and other aspects of partnership,” the statement said.

They also exchanged views on issues of mutual interest at regional and multilateral levels, including cooperation at UN and International organisations.

The India-Singapore bilateral relationship was elevated to a strategic partnership during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the city state in November 2015.

Balakrishnan, who is on a two-day visit to India starting Tuesday, will visit Guwahati on Wednesday to meet Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and witness signing of an MoU to launch a skill development centre being set up in Assam with Singapore’s assistance.

Earlier, referring to the meeting, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had tweeted: “Expanding our strategic partnership.”

Singapore was India’s 10th largest bilateral trade partner in 2016-17 and the second largest among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) countries, with a share of 2.5 per cent and 2.6 per cent respectively of overall trade with India.

Bilateral trade expanded after the conclusion of Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) from $6.7 billion in 2004-05 to reach $16.7 billion in 2016- 17.

In 2016-17, India’s imports from Singapore totalled $7.1 billion and exports totalled $9.6 billion, a growth of 24 per cent compared to the previous year

Singapore has agreed to set up a skill development centre in the northeastern state.

–IANS
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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.

The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.

Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.

Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.

For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.

During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.

Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.

Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .

Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.

In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.

In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.

He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.

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