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India, a founding member of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP), is set to deepen its engagement with the Singapore-based Information Sharing Centre (ISC) of the grouping, its Executive Director Vijay D Chafekar has said. "We expect closer cooperation with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), the Indian Focal Point of ReCAAP, for promoting safe and secure seas in Asia," Chafekar told PTI on Saturday. India is one of the founding members of the 21-nation ReCAAP, which was established as a regional, government-to-government institution for enhancing maritime security and ship safety. The grouping is also drawing interest from countries beyond Asia, Chafekar said. Most of the attacks on ships are now for stealing engine and machinery spares for which there is demand in parallel markets. There has not been any incident of kidnapping of crew or hijacking ships in recent years, said the retired Additional ...
President of Singapore Tharman Shanmugaratnam will be on a five-day visit to India beginning Tuesday with an aim to give new momentum to the ties between the two countries. It will be Shanmugaratnam's first visit to India as Singapore president. Shanmugaratnam will hold discussions with President Droupadi Murmu, who will also host a banquet in his honour, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in statement, announcing the visit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet with the Singaporean president. "The President of the Republic of Singapore Tharman Shanmugaratnam will pay a State visit to India from January 14-18. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers, members of parliament and officials," the MEA said. Shanmugaratnam will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 16. He will also visit Odisha from January 17-18. "India and Singapore have extensive cooperation based on a long tradition of friendship,