Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and United States President Donald Trump signed an agreement on Sep. 23, 2019 to renew the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding Regarding United States’ Use of Facilities in Singapore.

It will be extended for another 15 years.

The deal was inked on the sidelines of the 74th United Nations General Assembly.

When was the agreement first signed?

The late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew signed the 1990 MOU with then-US vice president Dan Quayle.

The MOU has underpinned the US’ security presence in the region for almost 30 years.

It was key to facilitating US access to Singapore's air and naval bases.

The US has deployed fighter aircraft, as well as littoral combat ships and P-8 Poseidon aircraft to Singapore since 2013 and 2015 respectively.

What PM Lee said

Lee said during the signing ceremony with Trump that it was a reflection of the close cooperation between the two countries.

"We've updated it once before, in 2005; and we are very happy to update it once more, to extend it for the next 15 years," he said.

“It reflects our very good cooperation on defence matters between the US and Singapore, and also the broader cooperation we have in so many other fields, in security, economics, counter-terrorism, and in culture and education as well."

He also said: "So we are very happy with our relationship, we hope to grow it, and we hope that it will also be a means for the US to deepen its engagement in Southeast Asia and the Asia Pacific region.”

What President Trump said

Trump said: "We’re signing a memorandum of defence -- really, an understanding.  And it’s a very strong understanding. We know where we are. We have an extraordinary relationship with Singapore and with the prime minister."

What other ministries in Singapore said

Singapore’s Defence Ministry (MINDEF) said in a statement that the renewal of the document underscores the support for US’ presence in the Asia-Pacific, which remains vital for regional peace, stability and prosperity.

Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) added that the renewal of the MOU was a "clear affirmation of the mutual commitment to the longstanding Singapore-United States defence relationship".

Fourth meeting between PM Lee and Trump

This is the fourth time PM Lee and Trump have met.

Both leaders met at the Trump-Kim summit in Singapore in 2018, the G20 Summit in Hamburg in 2017, and during PM Lee’s official visit to Washington in 2017.