Shangri-La Dialogue to take place in Singapore in June 2022

AFTER a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Shangri-La Dialogue will return on June 10 to 12 next year in Singapore as a fully in-person event, said its organiser International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

The annual high-level security summit had taken place every year since 2002, before it was called off in both 2020 and 2021.

The Shangri-La Dialogue is typically attended by a wide range of defence ministers, senior officials, corporate leaders and influential strategists from Asia, North America, the Middle East and Europe.

The event had been scheduled for June 5 to 7 last year and subsequently for June 4 to 5 this year, but the IISS cancelled both instances because of the pandemic.

On its website, the London-based research institute said: "At a time of ever-greater focus on the geopolitical and defence dynamics of the Asia-Pacific, the importance of in-person debate among the region's key actors is greater than ever."

The summit will feature plenary debates led by government ministers, as well as opportunities for bilateral discussions among delegations.

On May 20, shortly before this year's Shangri-La Dialogue was due to take place, the IISS announced that the meeting was cancelled, following the rise in local cases in Singapore and the introduction of new restrictions. The dialogue had been intended as a fully in-person event, to be held within a bubble at the Shangri-La Hotel.

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