"The security and economic well-being of all our countries is increasingly tied to factors far beyond our borders," Singapore's Defense Minister Teo Chee Hean said in a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual gathering of regional defense and security officials.
Singapore, June 4. (AP): Singapore today urged Asian nations to work together on practical steps against threats like terrorism and bird flu, noting that cross-border cooperation had proven successful in fighting piracy in the Malacca Strait.
"The security and economic well-being of all our countries is increasingly tied to factors far beyond our borders," Singapore's Defense Minister Teo Chee Hean said in a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual gathering of regional defense and security officials.
"There is a pressing need for countries to come together to pool our knowledge, experiences and ideas ... and then determine what to do together to tackle them effectively and enhance our collective security," Teo said.
"This is true whether the adversary is a terrorist or a virus, or whether were just trying to face the forces of nature," he said.
He observed that pirate attacks had decreased in the Malacca Strait after Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia began coordinated maritime patrols in 2004 and air patrols last year.
The Malacca Strait, linking Asia with Europe and the Middle East, suffered an estimated 12 pirate attacks in 2005, down from 38 the previous year.
He suggested extending the breadth of multilateral military activities to respond more quickly and effectively to disasters or other threats.
"If we can work out some of these procedures and have some better way of working together beforehand, we might be able to save more lives, bring more comfort a little earlier," he said.
