The Keynote Address for the 5th Shangri-La Dialogue  was delivered by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong:

 

"I welcome all delegates to the 5th Shangri-La Dialogue.  It has been an eventful year since our last meeting.  In East Asia growth continues apace, and the outlook remains positive.  But East Asia is affected by develop­ments elsewhere in the world, especially in the Middle East.  There the year has seen more uncertainty and turbulence, punctuated by several setbacks"

 

"The security situation in Iraq has not improved.  After the attack on the Golden Mosque in Samarra in February, fears grew that the country is sliding into civil war.  The recent appointment of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his new government after months of deadlock has brought fresh hope of stabilising the situation, but enforcing basic order and security remains a difficult challenge.  If the US leaves Iraq under conditions that can be portrayed as defeat, its enemies everywhere will be emboldened, and we will all be at greater risk.  There is no choice but for the US and its coalition partners to stay the course and complete the work in Iraq."

 

"The impasse over Iran’s nuclear programme is another intractable problem.  If Iran acquires nuclear weapons or becomes the subject of unilateral action, it will have a seismic effect on the Middle East and beyond.  President Ahmedinejad’s rhetoric about destroying Israel has been rightly condemned internationally, but it has struck a chord with the Arab street.  The fatwa by some Iranian clerics that nuclear weapons are lawful has only intensified doubts about Iran’s intentions."...

 

 

A transcript of his full address is available from the related documents section at the bottom of the page.