Philippine Secretary of National Defense Makes Introductory Visit to Singapore Reaffirming Warm and Friendly Defence Ties

Philippine Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana is in Singapore for an introductory visit from 23 to 25 January 2017. Secretary Lorenzana called on Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen this morning after inspecting a Guard of Honour at the Ministry of Defence.

During Dr Ng's meeting with Secretary Lorenzana, both Ministers reaffirmed the two countries' warm and friendly defence relationship, and close cooperation on the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) and the ADMM-Plus. Dr Ng expressed Singapore's support for the Philippines' chairmanship of the ADMM this year, as well as its cochairmanship of the ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Group on Cyber Security with New Zealand. Both Ministers also exchanged views and discussed ways to enhance cooperation on regional and international security issues, including counter-terrorism and cyber security.

As part of his visit programme, Secretary Lorenzana delivered a Special Address at the Delegates' Dinner for the Shangri-La Dialogue Sherpa Meeting last evening, and visited the 2nd People's Defence Force earlier this morning. Secretary Lorenzana will be calling on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana later today. He will also be visiting the Changi Command and Control Centre tomorrow to tour the Information Fusion Centre, and to witness the inaugural Exercise Coordinated Response – the first multinational Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise jointly organised by the Changi Regional HADR Coordination Centre (RHCC), the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the United States' Centre for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance.

Secretary Lorenzana's visit underscores the warm and friendly defence relations between Singapore and the Philippines. Both countries' armed forces interact regularly through visits, professional exchanges, cross-attendance of courses, and multilateral exercises such as the ADMM-Plus Maritime Security and Counter-Terrorism Exercise in May 2016.