Minister for Defence Mr Chan Chun Sing was the Guest of Honour at a reception hosted on board HMS Prince of Wales berthed at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore earlier this evening. The reception commemorates 60 years of diplomatic relations between Singapore and the United Kingdom (UK). In attendance at the reception from the UK was the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Mr Peter Kyle, and Minister of State for Defence (Minister for the House of Lords) Vernon Coaker.

At the reception, Mr Chan delivered opening remarks, highlighting the deep and broad-ranging relationship between Singapore and the UK. He said, “There is one reason, and only one reason why the UK and Singapore can continue to work on so many diverse areas in our relationship. That just boils down to one word: trust. The deep level of trust at every level of leadership, institutions and personal trust that have been developed over all these years.”

HMS Prince of Wales is leading the UK Carrier Strike Group as part of Operation Highmast, a multinational deployment in the Asia-Pacific region. During their port call in Singapore this week, HMS Prince of Wales is hosting a series of events, such as the Defence Security and Industry Day, Science and Technology Symposium, Global and Regional Security Expert Panels, as well as various bilateral military to military engagements. Of note, over 1,100 members of the public in Singapore will participate in activities as part of the port call, including the ceremonial arrival of the aircraft carrier, ship tours, and a leadership talk.

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the UK Armed Forces interact regularly across a wide range of activities, including military exercises, exchanges, dialogues, and cross-attendance of courses.