SINGAPORE MINISTER OF STATE FOR DEFENCE VISITS INDONESIA

Singapore Minister of State for Defence Associate Professor (A/P) Koo Tsai Kee is in Indonesia on a three-day visit in conjunction with the 4th Indo Defence 2010 Expo and Forum held in Jakarta. A/P Koo attended the opening ceremony of the exhibition officiated by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono this afternoon. He also met with President Yudhoyono during a joint call with other Ministerial-level guests, and will be attending a dinner hosted by Governor of Jakarta Fauzi Bowo for all heads of delegation this evening.

As part of the visit, A/P Koo called on Minister of Defence Dr Purnomo Yusgiantoro, where both sides noted the good bilateral cooperation between Singapore and Indonesia. They also reaffirmed the close and longstanding ties between the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the Indonesian National Defence Forces (TNI), and agreed to work together to further strengthen the cooperation.

A/P Koo's visit underscores the strong ties between the SAF and the TNI, which dates back to Exercise EAGLE, the first major bilateral exercise between the two armed forces in 1974. Today, the SAF and the TNI conduct regular bilateral air, land and sea exercises, and engage in other professional exchanges. These bilateral exercises and interactions have strengthened the institutional and personal linkages between the two armed forces.

ASIA MILITARY REVIEW