New Delhi [India], January 17 (ANI): President Droupadi Murmu welcomed Singapore's President Tharman Shanmugaratnam to Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday, and hosted a grand banquet in his honour.

The event was graced by prominent leaders, including Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Union Minister Piyush Goyal.

In a post on X, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said, "President Droupadi Murmu received President Tharman Shanmugaratnam of Singapore at Rashtrapati Bhavan and hosted a banquet in his honour. The President noted that the close ties between India and Singapore are rooted in centuries-old commercial, cultural and people-to-people links."In another post, it said, "President Droupadi Murmu said that the remarkable progress made by Singapore since its Independence is an example for all developing countries, and Singapore is a valuable partner for India in our developmental journey. Both leaders jointly released a logo commemorating the 60th anniversary of India-Singapore bilateral relations."Notably, India and Singapore marked six decades of diplomatic relations with a landmark event in the national capital, during which President Murmu and President Tharman unveiled a special logo to commemorate the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

The commemorative logo was designed to symbolise the enduring relationship between the two nations, featuring elements from both countries' national symbols. It incorporates the colours from the Indian and Singaporean flags, as well as the national flowers--the lotus of India and the orchid of Singapore. The number '60' in the logo highlights the important milestone in the two countries' bilateral history.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam in the national capital to discuss the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries to further enhance the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between their countries.

The two leaders discussed cooperation in futuristic sectors like semiconductors, digitalisation, skilling, and connectivity as well as ways to improve cooperation in industry, infrastructure and culture.

The two countries have expanded their cooperation over the years, with key areas now including advanced manufacturing, healthcare, digitisation, sustainability, and education. Singapore remains integral to India's Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific strategy.

To mark the 60th anniversary, various commemorative events will be held throughout 2025 to celebrate this enduring partnership. (ANI)