New Zealand Minister of Defence Makes Official Visit

Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen meeting with New Zealand Minister of Defence Honourable Gerry Brownlee, who is on an official visit to Singapore from 28 to 29 April 2015.

New Zealand Minister of Defence, the Honourable Gerry Brownlee called on Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) this morning. As part of his programme, Minister Brownlee also visited 126 Squadron of the Republic of Singapore Air Force at Sembawang Air Base earlier today.

During their meeting, Dr Ng and Minister Brownlee reaffirmed the strong bilateral defence relations between both countries. Minister Brownlee is in Singapore for an official visit from 28 to 29 April 2015.

Minister Brownlee's visit underscores the close and long-standing defence ties between Singapore and New Zealand. Both defence establishments cooperate multilaterally under the auspices of the Five Power Defence Arrangements and the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-plus. The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) provides support for the SAF's training in New Zealand, and both armed forces also interact regularly through training exercises, professional exchanges, visits and military courses. In addition, the NZDF has recently accredited an International Liaison Officer at the Changi Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Coordination Centre. These interactions have enhanced the interoperability and mutual understanding among the personnel of the two armed forces.