On Wednesday, India and Singapore conducted their 5th Defence Ministers’ Dialogue in a virtual format. The meeting was co-chaired by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Singaporean counterpart Dr. Ng Eng Hen. Following the meeting, the Indian Ministry of Defence published a statement that read, “Both Ministers also expressed satisfaction at the growing defence ties between the two countries. Both sides reviewed the progress of various bilateral defence cooperation initiatives being pursued over the last year and expressed commitment to further elevate the scale of engagements”. They also vouched for their countries’ senior officials’ commitment to continue engaging through several bilateral dialogues and further enhance cooperation on several fronts.
A joint statement released by both the Defence Ministers celebrated the growing cooperation between “all three Services of the Armed Forces as well as in the areas of defence technology and industry.” Further, they discussed expanding bilateral cooperation in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief and celebrated the “operational collaboration” between the two sides’ armies on this front.
Singh and Eng Hen also spoke of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the two countries’ “defence and security engagements.” According to the Indian Ministry of Defence’s statement, Singh further “conveyed his compliments on effectiveness of pandemic mitigation measures implemented in Singapore and the contribution of the Singapore Armed Forced in restricting the spread of COVID-19.” A similar sentiment was echoed by Eng Hen, who also appreciated the Indian government’s approach to the pandemic.
The Defence Ministers further celebrated the success of the 27th edition of the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) and the second edition of the Singapore-India-Thailand Maritime Exercise (SITMEX), both of which were held in November 2020. These two exercises were of great significance for both countries as it enhances their collaboration in the Indo-Pacific. SITMEX-20 was a two-day trilateral maritime exercise, which was conducted at the Andaman Sea. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the establishment of this trilateral exercise during the June 2019 Shangri-La Dialogue. The first edition of this exercise was held in September 2019. The forum has been set up to improve the coordination between the three countries’ navies and to bolster mutual trust and formulate a common approach towards furthering maritime security. Right after the conclusion of SITMEX-20, India, and Singapore also conducted the 27th edition of SIMBEX-20, which is a bilateral naval exercise conducted by India and Singapore.
As a result of Wednesday’s meet, the Ministers signed the “Implementing Agreement on Submarine Rescue Support and Cooperation between the two Navies.” This agreement will allow India to use its “deep submergence rescue vessels” (DSRVs) to assist Singapore in a situation where one of its submarines needs to be rescued from underwater.
India and Singapore’s defence cooperation is guided by several bilateral pacts that have been formulated by the two sides for over ten years now. Accordingly, the Indian military helps Singapore train its mechanised forces in Babina. Further, Singapore also has access to the Changipur test range in Odhisha. Further, they have several naval pacts that allow them to use each other bases and access faculties for logistical support.
India, Singapore Hold 5th Defence Ministers’ Dialogue, Expand Bilateral Cooperation
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Singaporean counterpart, Dr Ng Eng Hen, met via video-conference on Wednesday to discuss bolstering bilateral cooperation on defence and maritime security
January 21, 2021
SOURCE: THE DAILY GUARDIAN