The United Kingdom has reinforced its long-term strategic commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, emphasising the critical importance of enhancing security cooperation and defence partnerships across this vital geo political space.
At the annual Shangri-La Dialogue hosted by IISS, Lord Coaker and the Chief of Defence Staff led a delegation from the UK who demonstrated the UK’s continued determination to working alongside partners to address shared security challenges and uphold the rules based international system.
This commitment will be further demonstrated this summer as the UK’s Carrier Strike Group visits the region – providing another opportunity to reinforce the UK’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
And all this engagement is helping to strengthen the UK’s industrial base and create high-skilled jobs while also driving mutual prosperity and security across the Indo-Pacific.
Colonel Eddie Maskell-Pedersen, Head of the British Defence Staff in South East Asia said:
It’s been a great year for UK Defence activity in this region already. In Singapore alone we’ve had the Commander of UK Strategic Command attending the Defence Technology Summit, a bilateral visit from our Chief of the Air Staff, the Director of Development from the Royal Navy attending IMDEX along with a formal port call from HMS SPEY.
Our Defence cooperation with Singapore and with our partners across this region is going from strength-to-strength and our Global Defence Network looks forward to continuing to support the positive momentum we have across Southeast Asia.
British High Commissioner to Singapore Nik Mehta said:
Singapore has yet again played host to a fantastic opportunity for regional defence engagement, and the UK delegation has had the chance to strengthen our relationships with this critical part of the world and underline our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Following hot-on-the-heels of this event we have our Carrier Strike Group visiting the region, providing a crowning moment for our relations with Singapore and across the Indo-Pacific.
His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific Martin Kent said:
The security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific is indivisible from that of the Euro-Atlantic – and closer partnership has never been so vital.
The UK is a defence industrial superpower, with defence and security exports to Asia Pacific worth over £2.1bn in 2023. The UK delegation at this year’s Dialogue and the upcoming visit of the Carrier Strike Group highlight the strength of our defence industrial base, and our commitment to building mutual security and prosperity with the region.
Notes to editors
- The UK High Commissioner to Singapore also posted about the Shangri-La Dialogue on his LinkedIn – Nikesh Mehta
