Singapore and the US Reaffirm Strong Defence Relations Amidst COVID-19

Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen during the bilateral video conference with United States Secretary of Defense Mark Esper this morning.

Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen and United States (US) Secretary of Defense Mark Esper held a bilateral video conference earlier today to reaffirm both countries' commitment to the excellent and long-standing bilateral defence relationship and mutually-beneficial partnership.

During the meeting, Dr Ng and Secretary Esper reaffirmed the importance of the US' continued engagement of the region. They also discussed a wide range of regional and geopolitical developments, including the need for regional defence establishments to work closely to address common threats such as COVID-19 and terrorism, as well as the importance of maintaining the momentum of bilateral cooperation initiatives amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both countries enjoy extensive defence interactions, including dialogues, military-to-military exchanges, training and cross-attendance of courses, and defence technology cooperation. In recent times, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and US President Donald Trump renewed the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Regarding US Use of Facilities in Singapore through the Protocol of Amendment in September 2019, and Dr Ng and Secretary Esper signed the MOU in December 2019 concerning the establishment of a Republic of Singapore Air Force Fighter Training Detachment at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.

Dr Ng speaking with Secretary Esper (on screen) during the bilateral video conference.