Chan Chun Sing, Qatar counterpart discuss importance of rights in waterways

SINGAPORE – Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing and Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, discussed the need for rights of transit passage along shipping routes on the sidelines of the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue.

The Ministry of Defence said on May 29 that the two leaders agreed on the importance of upholding navigational rights and freedoms in international waterways and exchanged views on the evolving developments in the Middle East.

This comes amid the months-long disruption in the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran conflict.

In their meeting at the Shangri-La Singapore hotel, Mr Chan and Sheikh Saoud, who is also Qatar’s Minister of State for Defence Affairs, reiterated the shared commitment to regional peace and stability, and discussed ways to strengthen defence relations.

Since the start of the war, Iran has hit Qatar – a designated major non-NATO ally of the United States – with ​hundreds of missiles and drones, targeting civilian infrastructure and its vital liquefied natural gas (LNG) production facility at Ras Laffan in north-eastern Qatar.

The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran has caused a global disruption of fertiliser and natural gas supplies, and ​has also cut off virtually all of Qatar’s LNG export capacity.

It has been reported that the US and Iran have reached an agreement to lift restrictions on shipping through the strait and to extend their ongoing ceasefire, pending US President Donald Trump’s approval.

The talk with Sheikh Saoud was part of a series of discussions Mr Chan had on the sidelines of the first day of the Shangri-La Dialogue, a defence summit taking place till May 31.

Mr Chan, who is also Singapore’s Coordinating Minister for Public Services, met Indonesian Vice-Minister of Defence Donny Ermawan Taufanto as well.

They exchanged views on regional developments and took stock of ongoing cooperation under the Defence Cooperation Agreement, which was implemented in 2024 and allows for, among other things, the Singapore Armed Forces to continue carrying out military training and exercises in training areas in Indonesia. 

Mr Chan and Mr Taufanto noted the good progress of initiatives both countries are working together on under the agreement, while reaffirming the close and longstanding defence relationship between Singapore and Indonesia.

Mr Chan also held talks with Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, General Phan Van Giang, with both ministers reaffirming the warm and friendly defence relations between both countries.

Mr Chan also met secretary-general of intergovernmental group Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Mr Nurlan Yermekbayev, as well as the US congressional delegation, which is led by Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth and includes Nebraska Senator Pete Ricketts.