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SINGAPORE – US Secretary of the Navy Kenneth Braithwaite met with Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen on Friday (October 16) and reaffirmed the excellent and enduring bilateral defense relationship between the two countries, the ministry said. defense.
At the meeting at the Ministry of Defense, the two leaders also discussed regional security issues and ways to strengthen navy-navy cooperation under the recently renewed 1990 Memorandum of Understanding on the use of United States facilities. in Singapore.
Braithwaite, the top civilian leader of the United States Navy who was appointed in May this year, paid a two-day introductory visit to Singapore as part of his trip to the Asia-Pacific region.
Earlier this week, he had met with American sailors at the Yokosuka naval base and visited Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi in Tokyo. He also plans to visit Guam and Palau.
As part of his visit to Singapore, Braithwaite also met with the Chief of the Defense Force, Lt. Gen. Melvyn Ong, and will visit Changi Naval Base on Friday, Mindef said in a statement.
His visit highlights the strong partnership between the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the United States Navy, the ministry said, adding that the visiting delegation took health checks and other security measures.
Both navies regularly interact through bilateral and multilateral exercises, cross-attending courses and other professional exchanges.
Most recently, in August, the RSN participated in the Pacific Rim multilateral exercise, organized by the United States Navy and held in the waters of Hawaii, Mindef said.
“These interactions strengthen interoperability and cooperation, as well as reinforce mutual understanding between the two navies,” he added.
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