Senior Minister of State for Defence Officiates at the Opening Ceremony of the 3rd International Maritime Security Conference

Senior Minister of State for Defence Officiates at the Opening Ceremony of the 3rd International Maritime Security Conference.

Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Chan Chun Sing officiated at the opening ceremony of the 3rd International Maritime Security Conference (IMSC) at the Changi Exhibition Centre this morning. Themed "Safe and Secure Seas - Strengthening Cooperation in Maritime Security", this year's conference saw seven speakers and some 350 participants, including navy and air force chiefs, coast guard directors-general and leading maritime academics. They discussed the importance of ensuring the safety, security and success of the international maritime system, and the need to embrace a cooperative security approach to create critical capabilities to address a widening array of threats.

In his opening address, Mr Chan highlighted the need for the international maritime community to proactively look for ways to strengthen mutual collaboration to respond to the complex and transnational maritime security challenges of today. He underscored the importance of strengthening platforms for open and inclusive dialogue, maintaining open channels of communication, as well as the need to engage in practical cooperation in areas of shared security interest. He said, "Bearing in mind the importance of collaboration in tackling maritime security threats, the IMSC will indeed serve as another useful platform to demonstrate the collective commitment of the international community to tackle maritime issues that could undermine regional peace and stability."

This year's IMSC, jointly hosted by the Republic of Singapore Navy, the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and Experia Events Pte Ltd, is the third in the series and is held in conjunction with IMDEX Asia 2013.

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Speech by Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Chan Chun Sing, at the 3rd International Maritime Security Conference (IMSC)