Singapore and France Reaffirm Strong and Broad-Based Defence Ties

Singapore Armed Forces Chief of Staff - Joint Staff Brigadier-General Kelvin Fan (right) and French Armed Forces Vice Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Éric Autellet (left) signing the Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement this afternoon on the sidelines of the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue.

French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu called on Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen this afternoon at the Shangri-La Hotel. Mr Lecornu is in Singapore from 10 to 11 Jun 2022 to attend the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD). This is Mr Lecornu's inaugural visit to Singapore in his new appointment as the French Minister of the Armed Forces.

During the meeting, both Ministers reaffirmed the strong and broad-based bilateral defence relations, as well as the commitment to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation in areas of mutual interest, such as maritime security, counter-terrorism, joint training of Armed Forces and cybersecurity. Both Ministers witnessed the signing of the Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement by Singapore Armed Forces Chief of Staff - Joint Staff Brigadier-General Kelvin Fan and French Armed Forces Vice Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Éric Autellet. The agreement facilitates the provision of logistics support between the Armed Forces of France and Singapore. Both sides also exchanged views on security priorities and geopolitical developments.

Mr Lecornu's visit underscores the strong and broad-based defence relations between Singapore and France. Mr Lecornu spoke at the plenary session titled "Managing Geopolitical Competition in a Multipolar Region" on 11 June 2022, and also called on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana earlier today.

French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu (left) calling on Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen (right) this afternoon on the sidelines of the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue.