Singapore-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin exchanged views on global development and security issues when they met on Saturday (June 11).
Austin was one of the three Defense Ministers Lee met in Istana on Saturday, the other two being Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and Malaysian Defense Minister Hishamdin Hussein.
They are in Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue, a high-level security summit that will be held until Sunday. Defense Minister Zaqy Mohamad also attended the three meetings.
The Pentagon (Mindef) said on Saturday that Prime Minister Lee and Mr Austin reaffirmed the excellent long-standing bilateral defense relationship between the two countries.
“They exchanged views on geopolitical development and regional security issues and agreed on the importance of continued involvement of the United States in the region. Prime Minister Lee said the United States for the training of Singaporean troops in the United States. Thank you for your support over the years. ” Mindef.
The ministry added that Austin acknowledged the positive trajectory of bilateral defense relations that expanded into new areas of cooperation such as counterterrorism, biosecurity, cyber defense, humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
In a meeting between Prime Minister Lee and Prabowo, Mindef said he reaffirmed the close and long-standing bilateral and person-to-person relationship between Singapore and Indonesia.
“This is highlighted by signing a series of agreements under an expanded framework during the January 2022 summit. Prime Minister Lee and Mr Prabowo also said anti-terrorism, maritime, food security, etc. Exchange views on global concerns and strengthen cooperation and trust between the two countries. “
At the meeting between Prime Minister Lee and Datuk Seri Hishamdin, the leaders reaffirmed the long-standing relationship and widespread cooperation between Singapore and Malaysia, as well as the strong human-to-human ties.
Prime Minister Lee and Mr. Hishamdin added that they had discussed the two countries’ response to common regional security challenges such as cyber and maritime security and counterterrorism.
They reiterate the importance of strengthening existing defense cooperation through a multilateral platform, and the effectiveness of combined cooperation measures such as the Straits of Malacca Patrol and Counterterrorism Information Facilities in strengthening the security and stability of the region. Was emphasized.
