DEFENCE MINISTER CALLS ON AUSTRALIAN PM

Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean called on Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in Brisbane on 24 Oct. During the meeting, both leaders reaffirmed the warm and extensive defence relationship that both countries share.

The two men discussed regional security issues, with Mr Rudd expressing support for new areas of defence cooperation between the two countries and Mr Teo conveying Singapore's gratitude for Australia's provision of training areas to the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

Mr Teo, who visited Australia from 23 to 26 Oct, also met his counterpart Joel Fitzgibbon and the Shadow Minister for Defence David Johnston in Canberra.

While in Australia, Mr Teo and Mr Fitzgibbon visited SAF troops participating in the annual Exercise Wallaby which is being held at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland from 3 Oct to 16 Nov.

The four-day visit was part of the regular ministerial exchanges between Singapore and Australia and it underscored the close bilateral defence relationship between the two countries.

Earlier in August, the PMs of Singapore and Australia signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on defence cooperation.

The MOU serves as a framework for both countries to manage and build on existing interactions, while promoting new areas of bilateral defence cooperation. It also indicates the importance that both countries place on bilateral military interactions and the amount of political support there is for the various training arrangements between their armed forces.