Chief of Defence of Lithuania General Raimundas Vaikšnoras met with Chief of the Defence Force of the Republic of Singapore Vice Admiral Aaron Beng and Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing on his return visit to Singapore. The meetings addressed regional and global security challenges, principles of defence planning, concepts of total defence and public-military coordination in case of a crisis. Senior officials also underscored the importance of sharing experience between Europe and the Indo-Pacific thus strengthening the regions’ readiness for modern threats.
“Singapore takes its defensive potential very seriously. Total draft for two years of service and approx. 350-strong active reserve at standing readiness for activation anytime, integrated with all military domains, is clearly a result of a long and consistent planning. The public view is particularly telling: the latest poll data shows that 98 percent of Singapore residents support total draft. This is an example of defence of the state becoming the business of the whole of community,” said Chief of Defence General Raimundas Vaikšnoras.
He was invited to visit the annual total defence readiness Exercise SG Ready rehearsing crisis and different emergency readiness organization country-wide. The exercise trains different scenarios, including damage in critical infrastructure, disruptions in supply chains, cyber threats, and other complex crises. The model is seen as one of the cornerstones of the total defence and resilience system of Singapore.
A key segment of the visit was dedicated to familiarization with the activity model of the Singapore Armed Forces Volunteer Corps: principles of volunteer integration in the national defence system and mechanisms of public engagement were discussed, as well as the role of public readiness in ensuring national defence.
General Raimundas Vaikšnoras also paid a visit to the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College where he delivered a lecture on the “Lithuanian defence efforts in the Transatlantic and European security architecture” to the international audience of students outlining Lithuania’s defence priorities, the importance of the transatlantic bond for the European security and NATO’s role in strengthening deterrence and defence.
General Raimundas Vaikšnoras had a separate meeting with Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to Singapore Darius Gaidys with whom bilateral relations of Lithuania and Singapore and defence cooperation prospects were discussed.
The return visit to Singapore reiterates Lithuania’s intent to actively engage in international security discussions, share experience and strengthen ties with partners developing long-term readiness and public resilience.
Photo credits: Lithuanian Armed Forces
