Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Zaqy Mohamad attended the 17th Manama Dialogue in Bahrain from 19 to 21 November 2021. Organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the annual dialogue is a key security forum for senior defence, security and foreign affairs officials from around the world to discuss security challenges in the Middle East and beyond.
While in Bahrain, Mr Zaqy was hosted to dinner by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and lunch by Bahrain Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. He also met with Commander-in-Chief of the Bahrain Defence Force Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s National Security Advisor and Commander of the Royal Guard Major General His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Advisor to His Majesty for Diplomatic Affairs Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa. They reaffirmed the warm bilateral and defence relations between Singapore and Bahrain.
On the sidelines of the Manama Dialogue, Mr Zaqy also met Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi, Malaysia’s Senior Minister of Defence Dato Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, Indonesia’s Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto, Egypt’s Assistant Minister of Defence Major General Mohammed Salaheldine Hassan Ali, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq Masrour Barzani, the United Kingdom’s National Security Adviser Sir Stephen Lovegrove and Vice Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tim Fraser, and the United States’ Commander, US Naval Forces Central Command, US 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, to exchange views on regional and global security developments and reaffirmed our bilateral defence relations with these countries.
Singapore has been attending the Manama Dialogue since its inception in 2004. The 17th Manama Dialogue was attended by more than 300 senior government officials from 30 government delegations.