SINGAPORE: Defence ministers in the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) have reaffirmed their nations' commitment to the grouping and its importance as a constructive, transparent, and peaceful arrangement in the region, according to a Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) news release.
Leaders from the grouping - made up of Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom - met on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday (Jun 1).
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe meeting was hosted by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen.
During the meeting, the ministers also took stock of the ongoing work to ensure that the FPDA remains relevant in the lead-up to the grouping’s 50th Anniversary in 2021, including in areas such as counter-terrorism, maritime security, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.
"The ministers noted that significant progress has been made in enhancing the inter-operability among member-nations’ militaries through FPDA exercises such as Exercise Bersama Shield and Exercise Bersama Lima, and expressed support for efforts to continually enhance the professional value of FPDA exercises," MINDEF said in the release.
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