Dr Ng Engages Young Leaders at 12th Munich Young Leaders Roundtable on Building Consensus in a Divided World

Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen (second from right) speaking on the topic "Building Consensus in a Divided World" during the 12th Munich Young Leaders' Roundtable.

Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen spoke at the 12th Munich Young Leaders (MYL) Roundtable yesterday^[1] on the topic "Building Consensus in a Divided World".

At the roundtable, Dr Ng interacted with 25 young and upcoming leaders from 21 countries. He sought their views on the challenges faced in upholding a rules-based international order for global peace and prosperity. Dr Ng said that: "Our world has shifted... we have to be clear-eyed, and what we plan and our actions need to be relevant to the current challenges, take the world as it is, not as what we want it to be." Referencing the lessons learnt from history, Dr Ng discussed the forces undermining the domestic and international socio-political centre around the world. Dr Ng also exchanged views with participants on the relationship between liberal democracies and how new power configurations are driving new norms in regional and global geopolitics.

The MYL Roundtable, held on the sidelines of the 56th Munich Security Conference (MSC)^[2], brings together young leaders from governments, think-tanks and the private sector from the Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States to discuss issues related to foreign and security policy.

Dr Ng met Australia Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds on the sidelines of the MSC. Both sides reaffirmed the close and long-standing bilateral defence relationship and welcomed the good progress of cooperation under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Dr Ng also met India Minister of External Affairs Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Both sides reaffirmed the deep and broad-based bilateral relationship, had wide-ranging discussions on political and security developments in the Asia-Pacific, and explored collaborations to strengthen maritime security in our region.

^[1]All times are in Singapore time.

^[2]Conducted annually in Germany since 1963, the MSC is a high-level security conference that brings together key foreign affairs and defence leaders from around the world. This will be the ninth time that Dr Ng is attending the MSC.

Dr Ng (second from left) having a bilateral call with Australia Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds on the sidelines of the 56th Munich Security Conference (MSC).

Dr Ng (right) met India Minister of External Affairs Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on the sidelines of the MSC.

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Remarks by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen at 12th Munich Young Leaders Roundtable on “Building Consensus In A Divided World”