Singapore-US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with his counterpart, Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen, in Singapore on Friday (June 10) to discuss ways to further strengthen defense cooperation, including cyberspace. ..
According to the Pentagon (Mindef), the two leaders reaffirmed their excellent defense relations and mutually beneficial partnerships at the Shangri-La Hotel in bilateral talks.
A retired four-star general, Austin is in Singapore for Shangri-La Dialog, the annual High-Level Defense Summit, which takes place Friday-Sunday. -Pacific.
The dialogue will be held as a fully face-to-face event for the first time in three years.
This is Austin’s fourth trip to the region in his current role. Details have not been announced, but he will meet Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe alongside the Shangri-La dialogue.
Austin also calls Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during his visit.
At a meeting on Friday, Austin and Dr. Nh discussed ways to further strengthen defense cooperation between Singapore and the United States, including in the field of cyber defense, Mindef said.
This follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in August last year to institutionalize cyber cooperation between the two defense facilities.
Dr. Ng thanked the United States for its strong support for the training of the Singapore Armed Forces in the United States, including the United States’ support for the acquisition and operation of the F-35B fighter by the Republic of Singapore Air Force.
Austin reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to engaging in the Asia-Pacific region and playing a strong role in the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) -plus.
He thanked Singapore for its support for the regional presence of the United States during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The two ministers also confirmed the need for stable defense relations in the region, as well as the need for regional countries to work together for security and prosperity, Mindef said.
Defense relations between Singapore and the United States are underpinned by three agreements signed since 1990, Mindef said.
These are the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding on the US use of Singapore’s facilities, updated in 2019. 2005 Strategic Framework Agreement. And the 2015 Defense Cooperation Agreement.
