India and Singapore held the first dialogue between their defence ministers as they agreed to enhance the scale and complexity of existing bilateral military interaction, at a time when freedom of navigation in international waterways has emerged as a major concern. The first Defence Ministers’ Dialogue (DMD) between Manohar Parrikar and his Singaporean counterpart Ng Eng Henmarked raising of bilateral defence cooperation to the highest level.  The agreement will also see Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) working with a Singapore research agency on research-oriented projects.

A joint statement issued after the meeting said both ministers committed to enhance the scale and complexity of existing bilateral exercises between the militaries. The minister emphasised the importance of international cooperation in tackling transnational security threats. In particular, both ministers strongly condemned terrorism, and renewed their commitment to cooperation in counterterrorism efforts, emphasised the importance of safeguarding maritime security in international waterways, according to an official statement.

Freedom of navigation in international waterways like the disputed South China Sea has emerged as a concern for many countries including the US, which has sent warships and military planes to challenge territorial claims by China over the strategic waters. In response, China has deployed fighter jets and ships to track and warn off US ships.