India, Singapore vow to fight international terrorism

India and Singapore on Wednesday vowed to fight international terrorism.

The resolve was echoed by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her Singapore counterpart Dr Ng Eng Hen at a joint press conference after the conclusion of the seconf Defence Ministers' Dialogue between India and Singapore.

"India and Singapore remain committed to tackling transnational threats, in particular the menace posed by international terrorism,' Sitharaman said.

The Singapore Defence Minister said the regional stability and the international rule of law were essential for trade and commerce to flourish.

He said, "India and Singapore have decided on the approach to issues such as terrorism and maritime security, which included the capabilities in responding to chemical, biological and radiological threats as well as the need for information sharing against the threat of terrorism."

Both the countries also expressed concern about the terrorism in Iraq and Syria.

Sitharaman said that both the countries also discussed renewing the army agreement, which is due for renewal next year.

"We also explored possibilities for expanding in defence research and development and industry which has unrealized potential," Sitharaman said.

India and Singapore signed navy to navy agreement during the bilateral defence meeting.

"The signing of navy to navy agreement today reflects our intention to further deepen cooperative endeavors in our shared maritime domain to address mutual concerns. This agreement will enable a broader range of activities between our navies," Sitharaman said.

Both ministers looked forward to the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise next year.

Dr Ng expressed his appreciation for India's continued support for the SAF's training in India, covered by the Air Force and Army Bilateral Agreements.

On regional security, both Ministers reaffirmed the importance of maintaining maritime freedom of navigation and trade consistent with international law.

Appreciating India's leading role in the Indian Ocean Region, Dr Ng agreed to India's proposal for continuous and institutionalised naval engagements in their shared maritime space, including establishing maritime exercises with like-minded regional/ ASEAN partners.

Dr Ng expressed his appreciation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's acceptance as keynote speaker for the 2018 Shangri-La Dialogue to articulate India's vision for a stable Indo-Pacific region.

-ANI