Goh visit to focus on open skies

India will be pressing Singapore to modify the existing air bilateral agreement and open its skies more for Indian private carriers during t...

India will be pressing Singapore to modify the existing air bilateral agreement and open its skies more for Indian private carriers during the ongoing visit of Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong.

With both Air India and Indian Airlines utilise only 6,400 seats per week as against Singapore Airlines flying 11,000 passengers per week to Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai, the government is keen that Singapore reciprocates similarly.

President Kalam invoked the message of a reforming India at his banquet tonight for Goh who is here to receive the 2003 Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding. Goh, in turn, pressed New Delhi to further cement its ‘‘Look East’’ policy so that both nations can forge deeper economic understanding.

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Goh’s visit is expected to cement ties in defence and lead to finalisation of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement. ‘‘I look forward to productive exchanges…The discussions will focus on how to engage India with Singapore, ASEAN and East Asia,’’ Goh said after the welcome at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

While Goh said his fifth visit to India was aimed at renewing ‘‘personal friendship with leadership’’ here, PM Manmohan Singh said New Delhi would not rush into a new arrangement in foreign relations. ‘‘This is a new government. We will look at all options before we rush into new arrangements, we will have to have a broad domestic consensus,’’ he said.

Bilateral cooperation in civil aviation tops the agenda with Singapore seeking more flights into India. Singapore has asked for 35 flights per week into six destinations including Hyderabad and Bangalore even as Singapore Airlines already has more than seven-plus-seven flights to India. Air India and Indian Airlines, however, do not have the capacity to utilise the 11,000 seats offered by the city state. While Delhi does not seem too keen to grant additional flights to Singapore, it will ask Goh to allow multiple designation of carriers which will allow private domestic carriers to operate.

In defence, for the first time, four F-16s of Singapore Air Force will join IAF Mirages at Gwalior in September. New Delhi has also allowed Singapore to testfire live ammunition at Pokhran.