Singapore and Australia Reaffirm Defence Relations with Signing of Pearce Treaty at Singapore-Australia Joint Ministerial Committee Meeting

Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen and Australian Minister for Defence Marise Payne signed the "Agreement concerning the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Flying Training Institute Detachment at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Pearce" (Pearce treaty) at the tenth meeting of the Singapore-Australia Joint Ministerial Committee (SAJMC) earlier today. The signing was witnessed by Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Perry Lim, Chief of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin, and other senior defence officials from both countries.

The signing of the Pearce treaty is a step towards enhancing the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which allows the RSAF to maintain and operate a Flying Training Institute at RAAF Base Pearce (Pearce Air base MOU), to a treaty, reflecting the deepening of ties between the RSAF and the RAAF. Following the signing, the Pearce treaty will be subsequently sent to the Australian Parliament for ratification. The Pearce Air base MOU was signed in March 1993, and will expire in 2018. The Pearce treaty will extend the RSAF's training access at RAAF Base Pearce for another 25 years, and maintain the RSAF's level of training access at the base.

During the SAJMC meeting, Dr Ng and Ms Payne reaffirmed the close and long-standing bilateral defence relationship between both countries. They also welcomed the progress made by both sides on the five areas of defence cooperation under the Singapore-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including the implementation of the MOU on Military Training and Training Area Development in Australia, which will benefit both the ADF and the Singapore Armed Forces. Dr Ng and Ms Payne also exchanged views on regional and global security issues, including the growing threat of regional terrorism. Both ministers highlighted the urgent need for greater regional and international cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts, and reaffirmed both countries' commitment to the global fight against terrorism. Both ministers also acknowledged the value of the Five Power Defence Arrangements as an integral component of the regional security architecture, as well as the close cooperation between both countries on the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus and the joint deployments in the Middle East as part of the Defeat-ISIS coalition.

The tenth meeting of the SAJMC was also attended by Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, and their respective Australian counterparts.