Singapore -- Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis met with the Singapore Minister of Defence Dr. Ng Eng Hen today during the 2018 Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM-Plus).

The two leaders reaffirmed their mutual commitment to the U.S.-Singapore defense relationship and discussed efforts to strengthen cooperation, to include counterterrorism and maritime security. Secretary Mattis thanked Dr. Ng for Singapore’s support enabling the United States’ presence in the region and reiterated his commitment to exploring training opportunities for the Republic of Singapore Air Force.

Secretary Mattis reaffirmed support for ASEAN centrality and emphasized that the Indo-Pacific strategy looks to deepen existing ASEAN multilateral mechanisms. The secretary thanked Singapore for hosting the 2018 ADMM-Plus.