Visakhapatnam: Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday, said India and Singapore will have greater bilateral cooperation in matters relating to the defence sector.Speaking to reporters at the conclusion of the 3rd Defence Ministers’ Dialogue between Singapore and India at the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy here, Sitharaman said some of the key developments that have resulted from the dialogue included the renewal of joint training exercises by the Indian and Singaporean armies in India and the use of Indian firing ranges for specific training purposes.She added that there will be cooperation on defence technology in terms of research and development (R&D) as well as industrial cooperation. India and Singapore would strive together to work on trans-national security threats, maritime security in the Indian Ocean and tackle terrorism, she said.Sitharaman affirmed India’s support to the ASEAN security architecture and assured that India would be major participant in the up-coming Defence Ministers’ meet.Sitharaman and the defence minister of Singapore, Ng Eng Hen, congratulated the naval personnel of the two countries for successfully conducting the 25th edition of Simbex. The visitors also witnessed the final phase aboard the Indian vessel, INS Shakthi.The two defence ministers spoke about the progress being made on defence R&D collaboration especially in areas like armoured vehicles and combat care. The defence minister of Singapore spoke on the need for India to play a larger role in the Malacca Strait and the Indian Ocean at large.He spoke about the proposed trilateral naval exercises, in which Thailand could also participate in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands stretch in the coming year. He also pointed out that the Strait of Malacca and the Andaman Bay were a continuous body and added that India could play a crucial role in patrolling the Malacca straits. Sitharaman also spoke about how the Indian armed forces were becoming more inclusive. Regarding the issue of women in combat roles, she said it would be a step-by-step process and added that the Indian government is encouraging women to take up long service commissions in various departments. The two ministers also spoke about greater coordination on disaster management, keeping in mind the volatility of the seas in the region.

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