Singapore (CU)_ Singapore and the US have reemphasized their close bilateral relations in defense and expressed a willingness to strengthen them further. Singapore Minister of Defense Ng Eng Hen shared about his first phone conversation with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in a Facebook post on Wednesday. He said, “We both affirmed our strong bilateral defense ties and desire to deepen them further. We discussed security challenges in our region, including the persistent threat of terrorism.”
Dr. Ng expressed his interest to work closely with Mr. Austin to make sure that the region remains stable, peaceful, and progressing. He wrote, “It was a meeting of minds, shared perspectives and values on the foundations of stability and progress – the rule of law, peaceful settlement of disputes, multilateral co-operation and mutual benefits, respect for human rights, and democratic processes – among them”. He added, “I really enjoyed speaking with him”.
The US Department of Defense said in a statement on Wednesday that the two leaders reemphasized their mutual commitment to the bilateral defense partnership between the US and Singapore. Mr Austin also thanked Singapore for providing regional access to US troops, and both leaders expressed willingness to continue to collaborate on US force posture and counterterrorism.
The two leaders also discussed their opinions about the regional security situation. The statement also noted that during their conversation, Mr Austin appreciated Singapore’s strong steps in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The statement added that Mr. Austin and Dr. Ng are looking forward to meeting in person.
