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Minister of State, Koo Tsai Kee, Other Excellencies Distinguished Ministers from other countries, dignitaries, Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of IMDEX Asia Ltd, let me extend a warm welcome to all participants to the sixth International Maritime Defence Exhibition, IMDEX Asia 2007. Held biennially in Singapore, the exhibition this year brings together 37 navies and maritime enforcement agencies and as Mr Huang has said, 136 exhibitors from all over the world. There are many new guests, I apologise I did not get to meet all of you and I hope I can get to meet as many of you as we go around the tours and exhibition this afternoon.
This large gathering of security experts and defence professionals at IMDEX Asia 2007 offers an excellent opportunity for us to collectively evaluate the latest maritime defence technology, platform designs and developments. There will also be much to learn from each other's experiences.
Maritime trade will continue to grow in volume and significance, and with it, meetings such as IMDEX. Globalisation and more specifically the entry of China, India and other emerging economies into global trade systems has increased demand and traffic by many fold. To illustrate, in 1995, the global maritime trade was 4.8 billion tons. In 2005, it has gone up to 7.11 billion tons.
Maritime trade will further increase as emerging economies seek to make up for lost time and progress due to the Cold War, they are hastening to build their infrastructure now and this is unstoppable, as their populations with consumer appetites shaped by global TV and media, crave for modern living and its comforts. Technological advances will enhance connectivity and penetrate to the farthest regions. This will make it easy for consumers and industries worldwide to demand for goods and services. But the true "last mile connectivity" must still require the movement of these goods through the expanse of space. The oceans offer all countries, even landlocked states, a complex web of sea-lanes that is of enormous importance to their security and prosperity. More than 80% of the world's trade travels by water; about half the world’s trade by value, and 90% of the general cargo, are transported in containers. Nations will always be dependent on the oceans for global commerce.
While maritime trade facilitates global trade and development, it also has increasingly become a potential target and means for dangerous and illegal activities. This is exacerbated by the difficulty to precisely discern movements, activities, cargoes, intentions, or ownership of maritime and coastal assets. In recognition of these significant threats, many governments are increasing security measures to deter attacks on their vital and yet open system.
The threat scenario for Southeast Asia is similar. The Straits of Malacca and Singapore alone carry over 30% of the world’s trade and half its oil. These are the arteries that connect the economies of Asia with those of Europe and the Middle East. Southeast Asia is also a critical battleground in the fight against terrorism. Many countries in our region have suffered from terrorist attacks. Others, including Singapore, have found themselves to be potential targets. These threats are ever present. Being a strategic chokepoint, any disruption to passage in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore will have immediate and severe repercussions felt far beyond Southeast Asia and the Asia Pacific. Needless to say, the economic costs alone, of any such disruption will be astronomical.
Maritime security enforcement agencies therefore have a key role in protecting our vital sea lanes to prevent disruption to the global supply chains. Our navies will increasingly be called to shoulder this responsibility and to respond to contingencies that arise.
Perpetrated by non-state actors, these threats have no regard for national boundaries and range from piracy and armed robbery against ships, to maritime terrorism. Effective responses against them will therefore require cross-agency, cross- boundary and cross-territorial cooperation and effort. The setting-up of the Accompanying Sea Security Teams (or ASSeTs) in Singapore is one significant example. Locally, this is made up of personnel from the Singapore Navy and the Police Coast Guard, these teams provide additional security and deterrence onboard high-value vessels as they transit through Singapore waters and this is a local response, what Singapore has configured with a number of agencies within Singapore.
While individual countries can take specific domestic measures to prevent an attack on their shipping, to harden themselves as a target, and to prepare for the fallout from an attack, security within the maritime domain increasingly requires comprehensive and cohesive cross-border collaboration at the bilateral and multilateral levels.
Therefore, we need to pool our knowledge, perspectives and experiences and exchange intelligence continuously. At the same time, combined training and exercises have to be enhanced to further sharpen operational skills and develop a common language for effective cooperation. Such practical measures will help strengthen and deepen the regional as well as international links that may prove to be critical in our ability to mount a comprehensive and decisive response to maritime emergencies.
I am happy to note that the regional navies have, over many years, built up a solid web of cooperative relationships, through many bilateral and multilateral exercises and joint operations.
And indeed, the progress we have made in recent years has been encouraging. The Western Pacific Naval Symposium (or WPNS), with its present 18-member navies, is a good example. This year, in conjunction with IMDEX Asia 2007, WPNS members will be participating in the 2nd Multilateral Sea Exercise, and related activities such as the Multilateral Tactical Training Centre Exercise and Maritime Security Information Exchange Seminar. These activities allow members to practise and refine established WPNS processes, while including scenarios and information sharing on maritime terrorism and piracy.
The keen effort from the 26 member countries of the ASEAN Regional Forum (or ARF) to focus more on transnational security challenges is another concrete example of such cooperation. The ARF will move from being a traditional platform for security dialogue to hosting the first ASEAN Regional Forum Maritime Security Shore Exercise. The Shore Exercise will bring together maritime security experts from the military, law enforcement, port, and policy agencies of ARF member countries to participate in a series of inter-agency discussions, table-top and simulation exercises. This will build capacity and enhance interoperability in maritime security.
Another initiative is the FPDA. In 2004, Ministers of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) decided and agreed to expand the activities to address non-conventional threats. Since then maritime security serials have been usefully incorporated into FPDA exercises. In 2006, it was further agreed that the FPDA could explore cooperation in Humanitarian and Disaster Relief activities, to remain relevant and responsive to the changing strategic environment.
We have also made progress in our efforts to enhance the maritime domain awareness within the region. The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Anti-Piracy in Asia, or ReCAAP, is the first ever government-to-government agreement to promote and enhance cooperation against piracy and armed robbery in Asia. Central to cooperation under ReCAAP is the Information Sharing Centre (or ISC). This is located in Singapore. The ISC, this information sharing centre, also serves as the platform for the sharing of information on piracy and armed robbery, and helps to enhance information exchange and operational cooperation in responding to security incidents at sea.
As an active partner of the international collaboration to promote maritime security in the region, Singapore is also setting up the Changi Command and Control (C2) Centre. Expected to be operational by 2009, the Changi C2 Centre will house the Singapore Maritime Security Centre, the Information Fusion Centre and the Multinational Operations and Exercises Centre. This provides a useful platform for interagency cooperation and information sharing from different nations to better respond to our dynamic maritime security environment.
The littoral states of Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore have also come together to successfully enhance maritime security in the region. Under the Malacca Strait Sea Patrols (MSSP), navies from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia have been conducting coordinated patrols in the Malacca Strait since July 2004. The three countries now also carry out the "Eyes in the Sky" (EiS) multilateral air patrols. There have been positive results from these two initiatives - the number of piracy attacks has come down and Lloyd's has removed the Malacca Strait from its list of war-risk areas, in August 2006. The Malacca Strait Sea Patrols and the "Eyes in the Sky" are useful models of how navies can work together for mutual benefit, while respecting mutual sovereignty and territorial integrity. In particular, the innovative design of the "Eyes in the Sky" initiative ensures that the littoral states are in the driver's seat, literally, while allowing for the participation of non-littoral states in the future.
All these initiatives underscore a common theme. We have a common interest to ensure the continued freedom of the seas for navigation and commerce, to advance prosperity and freedom, and to protect the marine resources. We look forward to the sharing of ideas and experiences amongst representatives from the different parts of the world, and hope that you can bring home new ideas and technologies to improve the maritime security capabilities of your countries and the region as a whole.
I wish the participants and organisers of IMDEX Asia 2007 a successful exhibition, and I hope all of you have an enjoyable stay in Singapore.
I now declare IMDEX Asia 2007 open. Thank you.
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