Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen spoke at the seventh plenary of the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) today, on the topic "Developing Models for Cooperative Security", alongside Australia Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, and Cambodia Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense GEN Tea Banh.

In his speech, Dr Ng stressed that countries must strive to maintain peace and avoid a physical conflict in this region. Dr Ng highlighted that an adequate defence budget is core to defence deterrence and while the increase in global military spending is not necessarily a source of instability, it is in "the absence of a strategic framework of engagement and mutual restraint, cooperation despite competition, that balance tilts away from deterrence and the risk of conflict increases". In the economic domain, shifting trade alliances and the growing salience of nativist economic policies were also strong winds of change that could have an impact on regional stability.

Dr Ng underscored the importance of countries building and maintaining channels of communication for dialogue. He said that "such channels of communications must be built over time" and that when "unplanned incidents occur, that line of communication could make a crucial difference in the de-escalation of hostilities". Within the region, ASEAN member states had sought to pursue military cooperation in an open and inclusive manner to prevent miscalculation and build confidence amongst regional militaries. This included involving the US, China and other ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus dialogue partners in multilateral exercises.

After speaking at the plenary, Dr Ng hosted a Ministerial Roundtable.

Earlier today, Dr Ng called on the President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste His Excellency José Ramos-Horta. During the call, Dr Ng welcomed President Ramos-Horta back to Singapore and noted the friendly relations between Singapore and Timor-Leste. They discussed possible areas of defence cooperation between the defence establishments, and also highlighted the value of ASEAN as a platform for practical cooperation and strategic dialogue, in support of a stable regional order. As part of his visit to Singapore, President Ramos-Horta spoke at the plenary session titled "New Partnerships for Asia-Pacific Security" during the 20th SLD.

Dr Ng also called on Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas this morning. During the call, Dr Ng and Prime Minister Kallas reaffirmed the warm and growing bilateral relations between Singapore and Estonia. They highlighted the importance of upholding the international rules-based order. They exchanged views on the global security developments and reaffirmed their commitment to furthering cooperation to address common security issues including cyber threats.