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New Defence Minister Linda Reynolds is off to Singapore to conduct bilateral meetings with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen as part of the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue 2019.
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The IISS Shangri-La Dialogue is Asia's premier defence summit. It’s a unique meeting where ministers debate the region’s most pressing security challenges, engage in important bilateral talks and come up with fresh solutions together.
Minister Reynolds said, "Australia’s security and prosperity continues to be tied directly to the security and stability of our region. Recognising this, my first visit as Minister for Defence will be to Singapore on 31 May 2019 to 2 June 2019 to take part in the Shangri-La Dialogue alongside key counterparts and defence officials from over 40 nations."
Since its launch in 2002, the Shangri-La Dialogue has built confidence and fostered practical security co-operation by facilitating easy communication and fruitful contact among the region’s most important defence and security policymakers.
Recognising this, Minister Reynolds explained, "Australia continues to value its strong relationships with regional partners. I will discuss shared security challenges with my counterparts, including maintaining the rules-based global order, upon which the region’s prosperity relies.
"While in Singapore, I will conduct a series of bilateral meetings with my counterparts including Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen. I will also participate in the annual Australia-Japan-United States Trilateral Defence Ministers’ Meeting with Japanese Minister of Defense Takeshi Iwaya and United States acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M Shanahan."
Past Shangri-La Dialogue speakers have included prime ministers and senior ministers from China, India, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Australia and other regional powers, as well as the US.
Secretary of Defence, Greg Moriarty; the Chief of the Defence Force, General Angus Campbell, AO, DSC; and Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Frances Adamson, will also be in attendance at Shangri-La Dialogue.
