SINGAPORE - The United States chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford, was conferred Singapore's highest military award for his contributions in enhancing relations between militaries of the two countries.

Gen Dunford, who is in Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue from June 2 to 4, was handed the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Tentera) or Distinguished Service Order (Military) by President Tony Tan Keng Yam at the Istana on Friday (June 2).

Under Gen Dunford's leadership, both militaries have made significant strides in initiatives under the 2005 Strategic Framework Agreement and the 2015 enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement, said the Ministry of Defence.

These initiatives cover non-conventional security areas, such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, cyber defence and biosecurity.

Both the Singapore Armed Forces and the US Armed Forces have also worked together in multinational coalition efforts, including the ongoing efforts to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria in the Middle East and counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.

"These interactions have enhanced interoperability, mutual understanding and personal friendship between both armed forces," said Mindef.

Those who were present at the Istana for the award ceremony included Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen, Second Minister for Defence Mr Ong Ye Kung, Senior Minister of State for Defence Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, Permanent Secretary for Defence Mr Chan Yeng Kit, Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Perry Lim, as well as senior government officials and military officers from Singapore and the US.