GREATER COOPERATION KEY TO ENDURING REGIONAL PEACE

With optimism and dynamism at a high in the Asia-Pacific region and goodwill becoming abundant in inter-state relations, Indonesian President Dr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called for countries to take relationships to the next level during his keynote address at the 11th International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Asian Security Summit: The Shangri-La Dialogue, named after the hotel where it is held, on 1 Jun.

While acknowledging that the geopolitical relationships in the region remained fluid, Dr Susilo, who was attending the forum for the first time, noted that the time was ripe for building a durable architecture for peace.

Speaking to an audience of defence ministers, senior defence officials and policymakers, he cited strong regionalism, a dynamic equilibrium and a win-win culture as key building blocks for this new level of cooperation.

Regionalism is about "cultivating among governments and peoples a real sense of belonging to a region and a willingness to work together. Countries must see their regional identity as complementary with their national identity", Dr Susilo said.

Dynamic equilibrium requires the state of relations among major powers to remain peaceful and stable, and present and emerging powers to find their proper place in the regional architecture, he said.

The last building block, a win-win culture, means being able to overcome historical baggage and look forward, and working towards win-win outcomes, said Dr Susilo.

The keynote address kick-started the three-day dialogue, which will end on 3 Jun. It is attended by the largest number of participants since it first started in 2002 - 351 delegates from 27 countries. Other first-time participants included United States Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta who will speak about US Defence Policy In An Era of Posterity on 2 Jun.

Organised by IISS, the annual inter-government forum is a platform for defence ministers to engage in dialogue aimed at building confidence while fostering practical security cooperation. Topics like maritime security, regional stability and security and cyber warfare will be addressed in five plenary sessions over the weekend.

Earlier in the evening, Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen and Australian Minister for Defence Stephen Smith signed an agreement which allowed the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) to continue training at the Australian Army Aviation Centre in Oakey, Queensland, until 2027. The airspace at Oakey allows the RSAF to conduct challenging and realistic training for its helicopter aircrew to hone their operational readiness.

First announced by Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard during her official visit to last month, the agreement succeeds the one signed in October 1996.

On the sidelines of the Dialogue, Dr Ng also met Thailand's Minister of Defence Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Sukumpol Suwanatat and US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General (GEN) Martin E. Dempsey at the Ministry of Defence in the day.

ACM Sukumpol, who called on Dr Ng this morning, inspecting the Guard of Honour at the Ministry of Defence.

The meeting between Dr Ng (right) and GEN Dempsey underscores the excellent and longstanding defence ties between Singapore and the US.