US Secretary of Defense Reaffirms Commitment to Regional Engagement in Meeting with Minister for Defence

Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen hosting a breakfast for United States Secretary of Defense James Mattis on the sidelines of the 17th Shangri-La Dialogue.

United States (US) Secretary of Defense James Mattis is in Singapore for the 17th Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD). Secretary Mattis was hosted to breakfast by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen this morning. Secretary Mattis will also call on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana this afternoon. 

Secretary Mattis reaffirmed the US' continued commitment to engaging regional countries, and the important role that ASEAN has to play as part of the US' vision for a "free and open Indo-Pacific". Dr Ng and Secretary Mattis also reaffirmed the excellent and long-standing bilateral defence relations between Singapore and the US. Based on the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding and 2005 Strategic Framework Agreement, Singapore provides logistics support for US aircraft and ships that rotate through for exercises with militaries of countries in this region. They exchanged views on a wide range of geopolitical developments, including the situation in the Korean Peninsula and the terrorism threat in Southeast Asia. 

Secretary Mattis is in Singapore with a delegation of senior US officials, including US Secretary of Navy Richard Spencer and Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command Admiral Philip Davidson. Members of the US Congress are also attending the SLD.