Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong met with US President Joe Biden to discuss Indo-Pacific security, the Ukraine war and inter-country investment in the White House on Tuesday. Lee kicked off a weekly working visit to the United States on Saturday. Following are comments made by Biden and Lee at a joint news conference following their meeting at about 1:30 p.m., according to the White House Press Office.

President Biden

Welcome back to the White House. I have the honor to welcome Prime Minister Lee to the White House today. And I’m proud – and I mean it honestly – I’m really proud of that cooperation – between Singapore and the United States. It is as close and as powerful as ever. And together, we work to uphold a rule-based order – the international order, by upholding the founding principles of the United Nations and promoting a future of Indo-Pacific that is both free and open. As we look to the future, Prime Minister Lee and I share our commitment to ASEAN as – and its central position in everything we do. And I look forward to hosting ASEAN leaders here in Washington, DC, for a Special Summit this spring. We also discussed a wide range of concerns for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. This includes ensuring that all nations in the region, including China, abide by the principles of a free and open region. Singapore and the United States are united in sending a message to all nations – to all nations, regardless of size or population: They are equal in right – to their rights on the world stage. Joe Biden President, United States Singapore and the United States are committed to both freedom of navigation and the smooth flow of maritime trade in the South China Sea. We shared our concerns about the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and its destabilizing ballistic missile launches, and in clear violation – which clearly violates multiple UN Council resolutions – Security Council resolutions. We both call on North Korea to refrain from further provocations and return to the negotiating table for serious and lasting diplomacy. We are both deeply concerned about the continuing suffering and violence in Burma following last year’s military coup – the coup that sparked a humanitarian crisis and toppled a decade of democratic and economic progress for the people of Burma. Singapore and the United States agree that the military regime must urgently implement the ASEAN Five Point Consensus and return Burma on its path to democracy. And we also talked about the war in Ukraine. Last week, in Europe, the world saw strong unity for a unified response and determination between the NATO Alliance, the G7 and the European Union to respond to Putin’s brutal and unwarranted attack on Ukraine. Today, with the Prime Minister’s visit and Singapore’s strong leadership on this issue, it is clear that Putin’s war is unacceptable to nations in every part of the world – not just in Europe, but in every part of the world. It’s an attack on basic international principles and that – they support peace, security and prosperity everywhere, including the Indo-Pacific. Today, Singapore and the United States are united in sending the message to all nations – to all nations, regardless of size or population: They are equal in their rights on the world stage. They have the right to sovereignty and territorial integrity and to determine their future without violence or intimidation. Mr Prime Minister, our nations are working closely together on security and the fight against terrorism. we have for a while. And we have deep trade and economic ties. We have also developed deep personal ties, I must admit.
Me too – we will continue to deepen our cooperation and seize the opportunities to meet the challenges of the moment and meet them together: fight Covid-19, ensuring that we are prepared for the next pandemic. to increase our climate ambitions and work for carbon offsets in the shipping sector. co-operation on everything from cybersecurity to space exploration; So we have a big agenda, Prime Minister – an important agenda, a common vision that we pursue together: a free and open Indo-Pacific, an Indo-Pacific that is connected, prosperous and safer, and much more resilient. And the US-Singapore partnership is necessary, I believe, to realize this future. So thank you again, Prime Minister Lee. I always appreciate consulting you. And as I told you, both you and Singapore are piercing far above your own weight – far above your own weight. And I appreciate the time we spend together and I look forward to many more meetings. The floor is yours.

Prime Minister Li

Thank you, President Biden. Thank you for these warm remarks. President Biden, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank the President for the very warm welcome that he and my delegation have received. We last met in Rome on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, but a lot has changed since those few months ago. Current international uncertainties and the crisis underscore the need for countries to work with close friends and partners. And Singapore deeply appreciates America’s commitment to engaging Southeast Asia, and especially Singapore, despite the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. We had a very good discussion with President Biden this morning. We reaffirmed the long-standing and multifaceted cooperation between Singapore and the United States, and our shared commitment to a stable, rule-based world order. Singapore is the second largest Asian investor in the US and the US is the largest investor in Singapore. Lee Hsien Loong Prime Minister, Singapore The United States has played an important and constructive role in Asia-Pacific for more than – for almost 80 years. And Singapore has consistently supported a strong US presence in the region with our words and deeds. We have substantial bilateral cooperation on economic, defense and security issues, as well as strong ties between people. Singapore is the second largest Asian investor in the US and the US is the largest investor in Singapore. Singapore’s US investments and US exports to Singapore support more than a quarter of a million jobs in the US. On the defense front, Singapore is an important partner for US security cooperation – in fact, the only country with this regime. For more than 30 years, we have had a Defense Cooperation MoU, signed in 1990 and recently renewed in 2019, which provided the U.S. military with access to Singapore’s air and naval bases. We are also expanding our collaboration to new areas, including cybersecurity, the digital economy, sustainable development, and even space. Singapore deeply appreciates President Biden’s leadership in strengthening the US commitment to the region. We welcome his intention to host an ASEAN-US Special Summit here soon. It is a strong confirmation of the US commitment to Southeast Asia and to ASEAN’s central position. The President and I discussed the importance of increasing US strategic and economic stakes in Asia-Pacific. It is important to promote a positive financial agenda that is open, inclusive, informed and flexible. We can not accept any country arguing that the independence of another country is the result of historical mistakes and crazy decisions. Lee Hsien Loong Prime Minister, Singapore We therefore welcome America’s proposed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which will strengthen America’s commitment to the evolving regional economic architecture. I discussed with the President his recent visit to Europe and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Singapore is an ardent supporter of international law and the United Nations Charter, which prohibits acts of aggression against a sovereign state. That is why we strongly condemn Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine. The sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of all countries, large and small, must be respected. Unprovoked military invasion of a sovereign country under any pretext is unacceptable. We can not accept any country arguing that the independence of another country is the result of historical mistakes and crazy decisions. I shared with President Biden the measures taken by Singapore to limit Russia’s ability to wage war on Ukraine. Our actions are based on principles that are fundamental to our survival and existence as an independent, sovereign nation. We have supported these principles and voted according to them in the UN in successive crises for many decades involving different countries. The war in Ukraine is affecting Asia-Pacific. There are also potential hotspots and contentious issues in our area, which, if not addressed properly, could escalate into open conflict. Countries with interests in the region must make every effort to resolve disputes by peaceful means so that we can avoid reaching a point of no return. It is therefore important to keep the channels of dialogue open between countries, including at the highest level. This will help to manage the developments in order to avoid conflicts and to prevent the misunderstanding of the other’s intentions. We also need to build inclusive structures to bridge differences and encourage cooperation and interdependence in Asia-Pacific – for example, the APEC leaders’ meeting and the proposed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. The US has enduring strategic interests in Asia-Pacific and many friends …