The 16th India-Singapore Defence Working Group meeting was held in Singapore on September 4, 2025. The meeting was co-chaired by Shri Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary International Cooperation, Ministry of Defence, India, and Col Daxson Yap, Director, Policy Office, Ministry of Defence, Singapore. Discussions focused on reviewing the implementation of decisions from the previous Defence Ministers Dialogue and advancing bilateral defence cooperation initiatives. Both sides exchanged defence perspectives and aimed to accelerate initiatives across bilateral defence engagements and regional security architecture, guided by the Joint Statement on the Roadmap for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Singapore. They expressed satisfaction with existing defence collaboration and explored ways to enhance cooperation in training, capability building, industry technology, maritime security, and multinational cooperation. Emerging areas of cooperation and issues related to global commons were also addressed. In light of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations, both co-chairs agreed to further strengthen defence cooperation, acknowledging Singapore's role in India's Act East policy. On the sidelines, the Joint Secretary met with Deputy Secretary Policy BG Fredrick Choo and visited the Information Fusion Centre and ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Cyber Security and Information Centre of Excellence at Changi Naval Base.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Defence: The government ministry responsible for defence.
Singapore: A sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia and the location of the 16th India-Singapore Defence Working Group meeting.
India: One of the participants in the 16th India-Singapore Defence Working Group.
India-Singapore Defence Working Group: A bilateral group that meets to discuss and promote defence cooperation between India and Singapore.
Amitabh Prasad: Joint Secretary International Cooperation, Ministry of Defence, India. Co-chaired the meeting.
Daxson Yap: Director, Policy Office, Ministry of Defence, Singapore. Co-chaired the meeting.
Narendra Modi: Prime Minister of India.
Lawrence Wong: Prime Minister of Singapore.
Ministry of Defence
16th India-Singapore Defence Working Group
meeting held in Singapore
Posted On: 05 SEP 2025 1:14PM by PIB Delhi
The 16th India-Singapore Defence Working Group meeting took place in Singapore on September 04, 2025.
It was co-chaired by Joint Secretary (International Cooperation), Ministry of Defence, India Shri Amitabh
Prasad and Director, Policy Office, Ministry of Defence, Singapore Col Daxson Yap.
The meeting reviewed the progress on the implementation of decisions taken during the last Defence
Ministers’ Dialogue and various bilateral defence cooperation initiatives. It provided an excellent opportunity
to exchange defence perspectives and accelerate the momentum of initiatives covering the entire spectrum of
multifaceted bilateral defence engagements as well as the regional security architecture.
The deliberations were guided by the latest Joint Statement on the Roadmap for the Comprehensive Strategic
Partnership between India and Singapore issued after the meeting between Prime Minister Shri Narendra
Modi and his Singaporean counterpart Mr Lawrence Wong in New Delhi.
Both sides expressed satisfaction at the ongoing defence collaboration and identified means to enhance
existing areas of collaboration, especially in the field of training, capability building, industry & technology,
maritime security and multinational cooperation. The co-chairs also articulated steps in the direction of
emerging areas of cooperation and issues pertaining to global commons.
As 2025 marks 60 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Singapore, both co-chairs
agreed to further step up defence cooperation. The meeting assumes significance in the backdrop of India’s
Act East policy, in which Singapore has played a key role in promoting economic cooperation & cultural ties,
and developing strategic connectivity with countries in the region.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the Joint Secretary also met Deputy Secretary Policy BG Fredrick Choo. He
also visited Information Fusion Centre and ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Cyber Security and
Information Centre of Excellence at Changi Naval Base during the visit.
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SR/Savvy
(Release ID: 2164153)