Minister for Defence Deepens Strong Defence Ties with Counterparts on Second Day of 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue

Minister for Defence, Mr Chan Chun Sing met his counterparts on the sidelines of the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) today, including the Defence Ministers from Brunei Darussalam and New Zealand, as well as the Secretary of National Defense from the Philippines.

During the call with Philippines Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr, both Ministers reaffirmed the warm and friendly bilateral defence ties between Singapore and the Philippines and expressed commitment to continue cooperation on the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM-Plus fora.

During the call with New Zealand Minister of Defence Chris Penk, both Ministers reaffirmed the close and long-standing bilateral defence relationship between New Zealand and Singapore. They commended the good progress in deepening defence cooperation in new and emerging areas, building on the elevation of bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in October 2025. Both Ministers also discussed the need to strengthen multilateral cooperation through regional multilateral platforms such as the ADMM-Plus and the Five Power Defence Arrangements.

During the call with Minister at the Prime Minister's Office of Brunei Darussalam and Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, both Ministers reaffirmed the close and long-standing bilateral defence ties, with 2026 marking the 50th anniversary of defence relations between Singapore and Brunei. The Ministers exchanged views on regional developments and discussed defence cooperation in areas of shared interest such as Critical Underwater Infrastructure (CUI) security, and at regional multilateral platforms, such as the ADMM and ADMM-Plus. Our close partnership is reflected by Brunei, Singapore, and Thailand's co-sponsorship of the 2025 ADMM Concept Paper on CUI Security from a Defence Perspective, as well as our current efforts as founding members of GUIDE.

Mr Chan also met with Lithuanian Minister of National Defence Robertas Kaunas; the Czech Republic Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Jaromír Zůna; Switzerland Federal Councillor, Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) Martin Pfister; United Kingdom (UK) Secretary of State for Defence John Healey; and the United States Congressional Delegation led by Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-North Carolina), which included Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-New York) and Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-Washington).