Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and United States Secretary of Defense Mark Esper today reaffirmed their countries’ commitment to the "excellent and long-standing bilateral defense relationship and mutually-beneficial partnership.''

The Defense Department said Esper and Ng discussed regional security issues, including the South China Sea, counterterrorism, and the importance of ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.

During a video conference, the defense chiefs also reaffirmed the importance of the continued engagement of the United States in the region, said the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) in a media release, Channel News Asia reports.

They discussed a wide range of regional and geopolitical developments, including the need for regional defense establishments to work closely to address common threats such as the coronavirus and terrorism.

Last September, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and US President Donald Trump renewed the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Regarding US Use of Facilities in Singapore through the Protocol of Amendment, extending the agreement for another 15 years.

In December last year, Dr Ng and Esper signed an MOU concerning the establishment of a Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Fighter Training Detachment in Guam. It is the RSAF's fourth such detachment on US territory and covers the deployment of F-15SG and F-16 fighter aircraft and other supporting assets to the Anderson Air Force Base for training.

Dr Ng and Esper also addressed the importance of "maintaining the momentum of bilateral cooperation initiatives" amid the pandemic, said MINDEF.

"Both countries enjoy extensive defense interactions, including dialogues, military-to-military exchanges, training and cross-attendance of courses, and defense technology cooperation," said the ministry.

Secretary Esper expressed appreciation for the regional access that Singapore provides U.S. forces, and its commitment to continued access made possible by renewal of the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding Regarding United States Use of Facilities in Singapore, the US Defense Department said.-CNA/The Standard

United States Secretary of Defense Mark Esper discussed regional security issues, including the South China Sea, counterterrorism, and the importance of ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific with Singapore's defense minister.

Mark Esper, Singapore discuss South China Sea, open Indo-Pacific