FPDA Defence Ministers Reaffirm Commitment to Five Power Defence Arrangements

Minister for Defence, Mr Chan Chun Sing hosted breakfast today for the FPDA Defence Ministers on the sidelines of the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue. The breakfast was attended by Australia Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, New Zealand Minister of Defence Chris Penk, Malaysia Minister of Defence Dato' Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, and the United Kingdom's Director General (Security Policy) Paul Wyatt.

During the breakfast, the Ministers reaffirmed their nations' commitment over the past 55 years. Over the decades, the FPDA has enhanced interoperability amongst member-nations' militaries in jointly executing large-scale conventional exercises, while evolving to incorporate non-conventional elements such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counter-terrorism, and maritime security.

The FPDA's regular cadence of professional meetings and exercises provides an important platform for dialogue and exchange of views among FPDA member-nations. The Ministers thus affirmed the continued strategic relevance of the FPDA as a constructive, transparent, and peaceful defence arrangement which plays an important role in the regional security architecture.