Laanet: Estonia and Singapore are strengthening defence cooperation

On 13 May, the Estonian Minister of Defence Kalle Laanet met with the Minister for Defence of Singapore Dr Ng Eng Hen to discuss bilateral cooperation and the current security situation at NATO's Eastern flank.

"Singapore and Estonia are both small countries that know what it is like to live next to a large neighbour. We both strongly believe in e-solutions, Total Defence, reserve-based defence forces and open economy. As small states, we are also both outspoken advocates for a world view that is based on rule of law," said minister Laanet.

"It is very positive to see that the defence cooperation is increasing between Estonia and Singapore and signing two bilateral Memorandums, both for defence cooperation and cooperation on cyber defence, is an excellent proof of that," said Minister of Defence Kalle Laanet.

"We see a lot of potential to cooperate in developing some of the most advanced technologies in the defence industry," added Laanet.

The ministries of defence of Singapore and Estonia signed a Memorandum to strengthen defence cooperation in areas such as defence policy, personnel training, National Service, cybersecurity, Total Defence and citizen engagement. The ministries also signed a second Memorandum of Understanding on strengthening cyber cooperation.

The four-day visit of the delegation from Singapore included bilateral meetings at the Ministry of Defence and visits to the NATO Cyber Cooperation Development Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE), the Cyber Range CR-14, and the minister Hen's participation as a panellist at the Lennart Meri Conference panel "Visions of China".

Additional information: [email protected]

Photos: Kaitseministeerium | Flickr