Secretary of Defense Spokesperson Cmdr. Sarah Higgins provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis met yesterday with Singaporean Minister of Defence Ng Eng Hen on the margins of the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany on Friday.
The secretary and the minister of defence affirmed the long standing security partnership between the United States and Singapore. They discussed a range mutual security interests, including cooperation on maritime security and countering violent extremism from terrorist organizations such as ISIS. The secretary expressed appreciation for Singapore hosting U.S. forces and emphasized the importance of its contributions to the Counter-ISIS coalition.
They also discussed shared interest in regional stability and the rule of law and the importance of regional architecture and the U.S.-ASEAN relationship. With regard to the South China Sea, the two reaffirmed the importance of the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law.