Singapore, New Zealand sign defense deal

SINGAPORE, May 28 (UPI) -- New Zealand's minister of defense Thursday was in Singapore to sign a defense agreement between the two countries in a move to strengthen cooperation.

Wayne Mapp, New Zealand's defense minister, met Thursday with Chee Hean Teo, Singapore's deputy prime minister and minister for defense, to discuss the shared regional security interests between the two countries and areas for mutual defense cooperation.

Following the meeting Mapp and Teo announced the signing of a bilateral defense agreement between Singapore and New Zealand as part of an effort to develop stronger ties on issues of security, the Singapore government reported.

The deal marked the first bilateral defense agreement between the countries and, according to a news release, provides a "framework to build on the many existing defense interactions to deepen and broaden areas of cooperation."