WASHINGTON, Feb. 18, 2017 — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis met with Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen on the margins of the Munich Security Conference yesterday, a Defense Department spokesperson said in a statement.

According to the statement, the two defense leaders affirmed the longstanding security partnership between the United States and Singapore and discussed a range mutual security interests, including cooperation on maritime security and countering violent extremism from terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

Mattis expressed appreciation for Singapore hosting U.S. forces and emphasized the importance of its contributions to the counter-ISIS coalition, the statement said.

The two counterparts also discussed shared interest in regional stability and the rule of law and the importance of regional architecture and the relationship between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the statement said. With regard to the South China Sea, Mattis and Ng reaffirmed the importance of the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law.