MEA Calls Singapore Prez’s Odisha Visit Significant, Priority On Skilling People In Semiconductor Sector

Bhubaneswar: After arriving in Bhubaneswar, Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam headed for World Skill Centre for the MoU signing ceremony on Friday afternoon.

At the centre, Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, state ministers and senior official held discussions with Shanmugaratnam and his team. A total of 8 MoUs are likely to be signed with skilling people for the semiconductor sector on top of the agenda in line with Odisha’s larger plan to draw investments in the sector. The state’s skill development and technical education (SD&ET) department will enter into an agreement with Singapore’s ITEES, official sources said.

While addressing a special briefing on Singapore President’s visit to India, Secretary (East), MEA, Jaideep Mazumdar said that Shanmugaratnam had expressed desire to visit eastern part of India during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Singapore in September last year. “This is a significant, he’s taking with him a large and senior business delegation….Several MoUs are expected to be signed during the visit of the President of Singapore to Odisha. These are in areas of green hydrogen, green shipping, industrial parks, petrochemical complexes and overall skill development, especially in the semiconductor sphere and in other skill development areas. The Chief Minister of Odisha will also be hosting a banquet in his honour…,” he said.

Mazumdar further informed that the Singapore President will visit Sun Temple in Konark and an artist’s village. “So all in all this is a fitting visit to commemorate 60 years of our diplomatic relations and on this occasion, both the President of India and the President of Singapore jointly released a logo to commemorate the year-long observance of this important anniversary…,” he added.