SINGAPORE: Defence Minister, Mohamad Sabu (pix) is attending the 18th IISS Asia Security Summit Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) for three days beginning yesterday at the Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore.
A statement from the Defence Ministry said that at the Meeting, the Defence Minister delivered a speech entitled “Asia’s Evolving Security Order and its Challenges’ during the plenary session.
He was sharing a platform with the Defence Ministers of France and the United Kingdom.
The conference is an annual program of international standard involving important figures from the government and non-government sectors in the Asia Pacific region as well as those outside the region to discuss current and future security issues.
At the conference too, Mohamad will hold bilateral and multi-lateral meetings to discuss matters concerning regional security policies as well as those challenges in maintaining regional security besides forming a network of communications and defence cooperation between the countries involved.
Meanwhile, Singapore Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen hosted a meeting today for Mohamad as well as Australia’s Minister of Defence Linda Reynolds, New Zealand Minister of Defence Ron Mark, and United Kingdom Secretary of State for Defence Penny Mordaunt on the sidelines of the SLD.
In a statement, the Singapore Defence Ministry said during the meeting, the Ministers reaffirmed their nations’ commitment to the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) and its importance as a constructive, transparent, and peaceful arrangement in the region.
The Ministers also took stock of the ongoing work to ensure that the FPDA remains relevant in the lead-up to the FPDA’s 50th Anniversary in 2021, including in areas such as counter-terrorism, maritime security, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.
The Ministers noted that significant progress has been made in enhancing the inter-operability among member-nations’ militaries through FPDA exercises such as Exercise Bersama Shield and Exercise Bersama Lima, and expressed support for efforts to continually enhance the professional value of FPDA exercises, said the statement. — Bernama
