Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen attended the 15th Lennart Meri Conference from 13 to 15 May 2022, and spoke at the main plenary session alongside Professor C. Raja Mohan, Senior Fellow, Asia Society Policy Institute, Bonnie Glaser, Director of the Asia Program, German Marshall Fund of the United States, and Natasha Kassam, Director, Public Opinion and Foreign Policy, Lowy Institute.

In his speech, Dr Ng highlighted how small countries shared common perspectives on geopolitical challenges, and that the increasingly contested geopolitical environment, defined most dominantly by the US-China strategic rivalry, had put a spotlight on the importance of a stable and rules-based international order. Dr Ng expressed hopes for the US and China to demonstrate statesmanship, and to rise above their domestic concerns to forge a stronger, more sustainable and equitable global system.

The Lennart Meri Conference, organised by the Estonian International Centre for Defence and Security, is an annual security and foreign policy conference held in Tallinn, Estonia. It brings together distinguished policymakers, analysts, politicians and academia from around the world. The topics discussed at this year’s forum included the ongoing Russian-Ukraine conflict, transatlantic relations, climate change, norms and use of artificial intelligence, hybrid warfare and arms control.

Dr Ng will proceed to visit Riga, Latvia from 15 to 17 May 2022.