Singapore will keep befriending all nations: DPM Teo Chee Hean at the S Rajaratnam Lecture 2012

Brand of diplomacy and strong defence has served it well: DPM Teo

By Jermyn Chow and Matthias Chew, The Straits Times, 1 Dec 2012

SINGAPORE will keep making friends with all countries, even as it maintains a strong armed forces to protect its sovereignty, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.

The Republic will also continue to support groupings and multilateral platforms that are fair to all, he said yesterday in a speech outlining these three principles underpinning Singapore's foreign and security policies.

This brand of "diplomacy and defence" has served Singapore well in the past and will continue to do so in a changing world, he told about 500 officials from the foreign, defence and other ministries, foreign ambassadors and students at an annual lecture.

"Security has become much more multi-faceted and far more intertwined," he said. "The age-old skills of diplomacy are still required, and so too the application of military capabilities, but in non-traditional ways which require new collective approaches."

Mr Teo was delivering the S.Rajaratnam Lecture, which is organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Diplomatic Academy and named after Singapore's first foreign minister.

In an hour-long speech, DPM Teo noted the need to build a cooperative, collaborative world to tackle new challenges such as peace-keeping, terrorism, humanitarian and disaster relief, maritime security and cyber security.

Singapore, he noted, has always focused on building defence and bilateral ties with countries near and far.

"From the start, we sought to make friends with all who would be friends with us," said Mr Teo, who is also the Coordinating Minister for National Security.

He also stressed the need to form a united, cohesive Asean, so members can "speak credibly and exercise greater influence on the regional and international stage".

Equitable multilateral groupings, said DPM Teo, are critical for small states like Singapore as they ensure that their interests will be taken into account on the world stage.

That is why Singapore started the Forum of Small States at the United Nations in 1992, he said.

At the same time, the Republic will continue to build up and maintain its ability to protect itself.

"Countries still need armed forces, so that they are able to defend themselves and avoid tempting others," said Mr Teo, who was defence minister from 2003 to 2011. "We cannot depend on others for our survival, and must be able to take our future in our own hands."

But military forces can also play a role in diplomacy, he noted, and cited Singapore's role in multinational peace-keeping missions and disaster relief.

Mr Teo also spent some 40 minutes taking questions from the audience, covering issues ranging from cyber security and peacekeeping to Asean cooperation.

Asked about the territorial dispute in the South China Sea, he reiterated Singapore's desire for claimant states to manage tensions and resolve the conflict without force. "With the lowering of tensions, diplomacy can then play its part," he said.

As for whether Singapore would follow some South-east Asian states in developing nuclear power, Mr Teo said the Republic should continue to invest in research in nuclear technology, particularly on nuclear safety.