ASSISTANT MINISTER REINFORCES CLOSE DEFENCE RELATIONSHIP WITH SINGAPORE

ASSISTANT MINISTER REINFORCES CLOSE DEFENCE RELATIONSHIP WITH SINGAPORE Assistant Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon David Fawcett, today met with the Singapore High Commissioner, Kwok Fook Seng, to discuss the ongoing and close defence relationship between Australia and Singapore. Both countries have a long history of cooperation bilaterally and in multilateral fora, such as the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus and the Five Power Defence Arrangements. Senator Fawcett said the meeting with High Commissioner Kwok was an opportunity to reinforce the progress made in the Australia-Singapore defence relationship in recent years, including the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. “High Commissioner Kwok and I discussed the significant progress of the Australia‑Singapore Military Training Initiative, which provides enhanced training access for Singaporean Armed Forces in Central and North Queensland,” Senator Fawcett said. “Under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed between Singapore and Australia in 2015, our countries have committed to deepening and growing our defence ties. “Our close neighbour Singapore shares many strategic interests with Australia, including a commitment to regional stability and security.” “I look forward to exploring further opportunities for collaboration under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2019, including in science and technology and personnel exchanges,” Senator Fawcett said.