Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand and Singapore have agreed to strengthen defence cooperation in several areas, including military training, cybersecurity, and the protection of critical underwater infrastructure.
The outcomes were reached during talks on April 27 between Thai Defence Minister Lt. Gen. Adul Boonthamcharoen and his Singaporean counterpart Chan Chun Sing, who is on a visit to Bangkok.
The visit marks Chan Chun Sing’s first official trip to Thailand since assuming the post of Singapore’s Defence Minister, aiming to deepen bilateral ties and expand security cooperation between the two ASEAN member states.
At their meeting, the two sides exchanged views on enhancing cooperation based on mutual trust. Discussions covered joint military exercises, defence industry development, and cybersecurity as both countries prepare for emerging security challenges.
A focus was cooperation in the protection of critical underwater infrastructure (CUI). Both sides stressed the urgency of the issue, with Thailand noting it is reviewing related draft documents to help translate commitments into concrete action.
The two countries also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening ASEAN’s central role through the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM-Plus frameworks, viewing them as key mechanisms for promoting long-term regional stability and security./.
