Cosgrove visits Singapore

Tue, 28 Nov 2000 | Source: AP

SINGAPORE (AP): Australia's army commander Lt. Gen. Peter Cosgrove met with Singapore's defense minister Tony Tan on Monday during a visit to the city-state, Singapore's defense ministry said.

Cosgrove is in Singapore from Sunday to Tuesday at the invitation of Singapore's chief of army, Maj. Gen. Ng Yat Chung, a statement from the ministry said on Monday.

Cosgrove led an international peacekeeping force into East Timor last year when violence erupted after the former Indonesian province voted for independence. Command of the force was later handed over to the United Nations.

Singapore and Australia are members of the Five Power Defense Arrangement, which also includes Malaysia, New Zealand and Britain. The grouping was formed in 1971 to bolster Asian security and protect Malaysia and Singapore from external threats such as communism.

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