Thursday, June 15, 2023

PH, Singapore to beef up defense cooperation

From the Manila Times (Jun 16, 2023): PH, Singapore to beef up defense cooperation (By Franco Jose C. Baroña)

THE Philippines and Singapore vowed to further enhance their bilateral defense cooperation.

This commitment was made during the meeting between Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and the newly appointed Singaporean Ambassador to the Philippines, Constance See Sin Yuan, on Thursday.

Sin Yuan presented her credentials to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on June 8.




Department of National Defense (DND) spokesman director Arsenio Andolong. File Photo

Department of National Defense (DND) spokesman director Arsenio Andolong said that Teodoro and Sin Yuan reaffirmed their commitment to the Arrangement on the Assignment of a Team to the Regional Counter-Terrorism Information Facility in Singapore (CTIF).

The CTIF, set up by the Singapore Ministry of Defense in 2021, is a multilateral platform bringing like-minded countries together to share intelligence, providing warning and analysis of terrorist activities.

By deploying a Philippine officer to the CTIF in Singapore, the Philippines can share its experience and expertise in addressing or combating terrorism, at the same time, gather valuable intelligence from other countries, and expand its defense network.

The ambassador noted that the Arrangement Concerning Education, Training Assistance and Support Activities on Human Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), which was recently signed on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, would enable the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to work closely together and build rapport for future cooperation.

Both officials affirmed their countries' similar positions on the primacy of upholding international law.

Teodoro also expressed appreciation for Singapore's support and investment in the Philippines, particularly in cybersecurity and digitalization.

Singapore has been the Philippines' top trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It is the sixth-largest trading partner worldwide, the top source of approved investments in 2021, and the second-largest source of overseas Filipino worker remittances.

Singapore also hosts a vibrant diaspora of 200,000 Filipinos, the majority of whom are professional, skilled and semi-skilled expatriates.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/06/16/news/national/ph-singapore-to-beef-up-defense-cooperation/1896282

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