STRONG DEFENCE TIES BETWEEN S'PORE AND US WILL CONTINUE

"It has been a very useful trip, not just a voyage of discovery..., but a reassurance, reaffirmation by many strong friends and supporters of Singapore in Washington, who have given us very good guide posts and who also gave us strong assurance that (we) can call on them if need be."

Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen said this in an interview at the end of his visit to Washington, D.C. from 2 to 5 Apr, where he met United States (US) officials and members of the US Congress to exchange views on geopolitical developments.

During his visit, Dr Ng met his counterpart, Secretary of Defence James Mattis, at the Pentagon, where an Honor Cordon was hosted by Secretary Mattis for him.

At the meeting, both sides reaffirmed the excellent and long-standing bilateral relationship between the US and Singapore, as underscored by the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding, the 2005 Strategic Framework Agreement, and the 2015 enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA).

They also acknowledged the good progress made since the signing of the enhanced DCA in December 2015.

Dr Ng and then-US Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter had signed the enhanced DCA to strengthen cooperation between both countries in the military, policy, strategic and technology spheres, as well as in non-conventional security areas such as piracy and transnational terrorism.

The Agreement also laid out new areas of cooperation, in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), cyber defence, biosecurity and public communications.

During their meeting, Secretary Mattis expressed his appreciation for Singapore's contributions to multi-national counter-ISIS operations led by the US. Dr Ng said he was confident that Singapore's contribution of a medical task force to Iraq, from this May, would enhance the coalition's medical capabilities and support the medical needs of coalition soldiers and civilians.

Dr Ng and Secretary Mattis also affirmed the strong military-to-military cooperation between the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the US Armed Forces. Personnel exchanges and bilateral training have built mutual understanding and strong people-to-people ties between both militaries over the years.

Dr Ng thanked Secretary Mattis for support for the SAF's training in the US, and in exploring further training opportunities in Guam.

Noting that countries should engage in practical cooperation in countering maritime security and terrorism threats and natural disasters, Dr Ng and Secretary Mattis discussed ways to promote stability in the Asia-Pacific.

Regional security fora such as the Shangri-La Dialogue and the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus play a role in promoting dialogue and practical cooperation among regional countries.

In the round-up interview, Dr Ng said he was "very happy with the outcome" of his meeting with Secretary Mattis, who has vast experience in the US military. He said it "bodes well from the security point: America's commitment to the region, (and) commitment towards Asia-Pacific stability".

During this visit to Washington, D.C., Dr Ng also met with Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Chairman John McCain; SASC Ranking Member Jack Reed; SASC Member Ted Cruz; House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Ranking Member Adam Smith; HASC members Robert Wittman; House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) Vice Chairman Paul Cook; HFAC Vice Ranking Member Congressman Ami Bera; Former US Ambassador to Singapore and Atlantic Council Chairman Jon Huntsman; and Centre for a New American Security Co-founder and CEO Mich le Flournoy.