Senior Minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs visits Abu Dhabi for International Defence Exhibition and Conference 2019

Senior Minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman is in Abu Dhabi from 15 to 17 February 2019 to attend the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) 2019. IDEX is held biennially under the patronage of the President of the UAE and Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It is the largest international defence exhibition in the Middle East and North Africa region, and is attended by representatives from the defence industry, governments and armed forces from around the world. 

At IDEX, Dr Maliki spoke at the panel "Security and Stability: Next Generation Stabilisation and Reconstruction Missions". He spoke about Singapore's perspectives on counter-terrorism efforts in our region and beyond, and expressed hope for deeper cooperation with our international partners for a committed and holistic response to the terrorism threat. Dr Maliki said, "Sharing experiences is critical. Sharing information is critical. Sharing intelligence is critical. We need to fight it at all angles, rather than assume that it is just in the military domain. Reconstruction is about the journey moving forward in providing stability and security. Everyone has a role to play right now, from individual countries to communities and individuals at the same time." Dr Maliki also spoke about the "Our Eyes" Initiative for strategic information-sharing, which was adopted at the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting in 2018. The other speakers on the panel were Commander, US Central Command General Joseph Votel and Deputy Chairman of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Lieutenant-General Steven Shepro.

As part of his visit to the UAE, Dr Maliki attended a Chinese New Year reception in Dubai for Singaporeans in the UAE on 15 February 2019. On the sidelines of IDEX, Dr Maliki was hosted to an official lunch by Minister of State for Defence Affairs His Excellency Mohammed Al Bawardi. Dr Maliki will also call on UAE government officials and visit industry booths at IDEX.