Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin underlined their nations' defence connections and the critical nature of America's engagement in the Asia-Pacific region on Monday March 28.
They also discussed Russia's aggression on Ukraine, with Prime Minister Lee explaining why Singapore took such a firm stance and Mr Austin expressing gratitude for Singapore's stance.
Mr Lee, who is in the United States on a business visit till April 2, met with Mr Austin at the Pentagon, the headquarters of the US Department of Defence just outside Washington, DC.
Mr Lee was met upon his arrival by a US military honor cordon, complete with flag bearers carrying both the Singapore and US national flags, and was personally hailed by Mr Austin.
Singapore and the US have good and long-standing bilateral defence connections, Mr Lee noted, describing them as critical components of the two countries' strong cooperation.
"We share the conviction that the United States' presence in the Asia Pacific is important to the region's continuing peace, security, and development, and Singapore continues to support the US military presence in Asia," Mr Lee stated.
Mr Austin, who visited Singapore in July last year as part of his introduction to the area, stated that Singapore continues to be one of America's most valuable defence allies.
Mr Austin also described Singapore's backing for US soldiers as "an underpinning of America's Indo-Pacific presence," adding that "our military cooperation has traditionally aided in ensuring regional stability."
Additionally, they reviewed international and regional issues, particularly Russia's war on Ukraine, as the continent's largest armed confrontation since World War II enters its second month.
Singapore has slapped financial and economic restrictions on Moscow and restricted the export of specific commodities, including electronics and computers, establishing a posture tougher than that of the majority of its regional neighbors.
"When the war in Ukraine erupted, Singapore took a principled approach, since the idea that sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national boundaries should not be infringed in violation of the UN Charter is essential and vital to us," Mr Lee explained.
Mr Austin stated that the US is extremely appreciative of Singapore's outspoken opposition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"Putin has grossly miscalculated the international community's will to hold Russia accountable for its unjustified actions," the US defence chief stated.
"Putin's war of choice reaffirms the need of defending liberty, a free and open international order, an Indo-Pacific area, as well as Europe," he continued.
Singapore and the US extended their 1990 Memorandum of Understanding covering America's use of Singaporean facilities in 2019.
Additionally, the United States sponsors three Republic of Singapore Air Force training detachments, with a fourth fighter jet detachment scheduled to open in Guam in 2029.
Mr Lee expressed Singapore's gratitude for the US' support of its training detachments and exercises, noting that the two nations had remained strong allies despite difficult global difficulties over the years.
"During the Covid epidemic, our aviation and naval bases, as well as our ports, were open for port calls, transits, maintenance, and repair activities," Mr Lee explained.
Mr Austin, in turn, expressed gratitude to Mr Lee for Singapore's assistance for the United States' rotating deployments of P-8 Poseidon planes and littoral warfare ships.
"It is critical that we train alongside so many of your personnel," the defence chief continued.
They also discussed ways to strengthen defence cooperation in areas such as cyber, artificial intelligence, and joint training, according to a statement from Mr Lee's Press Secretary Chang Li Lin.
On Tuesday, Mr Lee is expected to meet with US Vice President Joe Biden and US Vice President Kamala Harris.
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