Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen hosted 22 visiting Ministers and their representatives to a luncheon today, in conjunction with the 14th Shangri-La Dialogue. The luncheon is a useful platform for the Ministers to engage in open and meaningful discussions on security issues of international and regional concern.

The Ministers exchanged views on wide-ranging issues confronting the international community, including global terrorism and human smuggling. The Ministers also discussed challenges facing the region, in particular the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

The Ministers expressed concern with the scale and sophistication with which terrorism has evolved, and stressed the need for the international community to deepen cooperation to curtail the spread of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and stem the influx of foreign fighters to the Middle East. They also discussed ways to address the threat posed by returning fighters. The Ministers recognised that a military solution alone would not address the root causes of terrorism, and emphasised the need for de-radicalisation and rehabilitation.

On human smuggling, the Ministers shared that it was important to address the immediate needs of the migrants and a lasting solution lies in tackling the root causes of the issue. This would require the resolve of all parties involved. The Ministers also discussed the security situation in the Asia Pacific, particularly on the need for a peaceful and stable Korean Peninsula.