A total of 17 defence ministers and more than 200 senior defence officials from countries in the Asia Pacific, North America and Europe participated in the 4th Shangri-La Dialogue which took place in Singapore on 3-5 June 2005. Among the luminaries at the conference were US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, UK Defence Minister John Reid, Australia Defence Minister Robert Hill, Indian Defence Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Japan Defence Minister Yoshinori Ohno and Philippine Secretary for National Defence Avelino Cruz Jr. Organised by the renowned London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the annual forum provided an invaluable opportunity for the defence ministers and their senior officials to discuss regional security issues and defence cooperation.
A total of 17 defence ministers and more than 200 senior defence officials from countries in the Asia Pacific, North America and Europe participated in the 4th Shangri-La Dialogue which took place in Singapore on 3-5 June 2005. Among the luminaries at the conference were US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, UK Defence Minister John Reid, Australia Defence Minister Robert Hill, Indian Defence Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Japan Defence Minister Yoshinori Ohno and Philippine Secretary for National Defence Avelino Cruz Jr. Organised by the renowned London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the annual forum provided an invaluable opportunity for the defence ministers and their senior officials to discuss regional security issues and defence cooperation.
The three-day event kicked off with a dinner and keynote address from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. In his speech, Mr. Lee spoke on the threat of terrorism and its impact on security in Asia as well as the emerging growth of China and India as economic powerhouses. Mr. Lee also stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation among regional defence and security organisations in the common war against terrorism.
Singapore Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean acknowledged that terrorism was a global issue and that international cooperation was crucial in combating terrorist activities. Mr. Teo also said it was time for countries to adopt a more action-oriented approach to resolving terrorism instead of focusing on theories and principles at international forums.
The participants also discussed the issues of peacekeeping and humanitarian operations and regional maritime security. For his part, Secretary Cruz shared with the forum how the Philippine government was tackling Islamic insurgency in Mindanao and its efforts to forge a peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). On the sidelines, many defence ministers also took the opportunity to hold bilateral meetings with as many of their counterparts as possible. Secretary Cruz reportedly met with about 16 defence ministers and noted that no other forum afforded him such an opportunity to meet with so many of his counterparts in a single setting.
