This is the first time that Spain has been invited to this forum, one of the most important security forums in the world.
Together with the main Defence Ministers and Chiefs of Defence Staff in Southeast Asia, global authorities on security and defence issues also attended the summit, including the United States Secretary of Defense, Ashton Carter; and from Europe, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union, Federica Mogherini; the German Federal Minister of Defense, Ursula von der Leyen; the Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom, Michael Fallon; and the Russian Deputy-Minister of Defence, Anatoly Antonov.
During his stay in Singapore, the Spanish Minister for Defence will take the opportunity to meet with several of his counterparts in the region. This will include bilateral meetings with the Minister for Defence of the host country, Ng Eng Hen; of Australia, Kevin Andrews; and of Indonesia, Ryamizard Ryacudu.
On 31 May, the minister will hold a bilateral meeting with the Undersecretary for Defense Policy of the Philippines, Pío Lorenzo Batino. Following that, he is scheduled to take part in the fifth plenary session of the summit, entitled "Global Security Challenges and the Asia-Pacific: Building Cooperation Between Regions" and in the session entitled "Prevent Conflict Escalation".
'Shangri-La Dialogue'
This forum has become a key element in the security architecture of the region of Southeast Asia. It was set up in 2002 to provide a response to the need to create a forum where Defence Ministers can meet to promote confidence and cooperation measures between countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
Over the course of time, the forum has become increasingly open, including participation from delegations from other parts of the world. The 'Shangri-La Dialogue' constitutes a meeting point where bilateral and multilateral meetings can be held to make progress on preventing conflicts and cooperating on regional security and defence.
EFE