Minister for Defence Dr. Ng Eng Hen emphasized the critical need to avoid further geopolitical shocks at the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue, highlighting the role of regional cooperation in maintaining stability.
Minister for Defence Dr. Ng Eng Hen addressed the seventh plenary of the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) today on the theme “Re-imagining Solutions for Global Peace and Regional Stability.” He shared the stage with Malaysian Defence Minister Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.
In his speech, Dr. Ng stressed the imperative to prevent further geopolitical shocks, stating, “If there is any salient epiphany against this backdrop, it must be ‘not here, in Asia’… because we can all agree, that neither Asia nor the world can withstand a third geopolitical shock.”
Dr. Ng underscored the crucial role of defence establishments in fortifying regional security architecture. He highlighted ASEAN’s pivotal role in upholding the ASEAN Charter and fostering military cooperation through the ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Groups (EWGs). He noted, “To date, more than 20 large-scale exercises have been conducted and it is noteworthy that this is the only platform where both US and China militaries participate.”
Following his speech, Dr. Ng hosted a Ministerial Roundtable. Earlier, he met with Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (MG)(Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Md Yussof, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office of Brunei Darussalam and Minister of Defence II. They reaffirmed the strong bilateral defence relationship between Singapore and Brunei, discussing regional security and the importance of bilateral exchanges and cooperation.
Dr. Ng also met with Ukraine’s Minister of Defence, Rustem Umerov, reaffirming the friendly defence relations between Ukraine and Singapore. They discussed the security situation in Europe and regional developments in the Asia-Pacific.
Source – MINDEF
