US, SEA defense ministers meet in Singapore
Defense ministers and senior officials from the United States and Southeast Asian nations met in Singapore on Friday ahead of the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premier security summit.
In a press release, the Department of National Defense said the United States-Southeast Asia Defense Ministerial Meeting, which was attended by DND Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., focused on deepening defense cooperation and addressing shared security challenges in the Indo-Pacific, including maritime security, counterterrorism, cyber threats, and disaster response.
Teodoro highlighted the significance of US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's presence in the meeting as he expressed optimism about strengthening ASEAN's Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the US, including deeper cooperation in maritime security, cyber and emerging technologies, and capacity-building initiatives.
'Sustained US leadership is crucial, especially for the smaller states of Southeast Asia,' Teodoro said.
On June 1, the final day of the three-day Shangri-La Dialogue, Teodoro will give a speech at the Sixth Plenary Session on Cross-Regional Security Interlinkages. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News
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