Catherine Ashton to visit Singapore for the Shangri La dialogue (Asia Security dialogue)

Brussels, 31-5-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission Catherine Ashton travels this week to Singapore where she is to represent the European Union in the Shangri La dialogue on 31 May – 1 June. After the forum the High Representative will discuss EU-Singapore bilateral relations with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Foreign Minister Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam.

The Shangri La dialogue or Asia Security Summit is organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies as an independent forum for defence ministers, military chiefs and security stakeholders in the Asia-Pacific region.

Speaking prior to departure, Catherine Ashton said:

“The EU is committed to developing strong partnerships to help with increasing security wherever it can. Our comprehensive approach to security challenges and crisis situations draws systematically on all of the various diplomatic, economic, humanitarian, security and development instruments at our disposal. The Shangri La dialogue is a good opportunity to strengthen relations with our Asian partners by discussing our approach to the challenges we face together.

I also look forward to discussing EU-Singapore relations on this visit and to the imminent conclusion of a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement to accompany the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement.”

Other participants at the 12th edition of the Shangri La Dialogue include Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dzung and U.S. Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel. The High Representative will have a number of bilateral meetings in the margins of the forum.

For more information

Shangri La Dialogue web page: http://www.iiss.org/en/events/shangri-s-la-s-dialogue

The EU’s relations with Singapore: http://eeas.europa.eu/singapore/index_en.htm

EU-Asia relations: http://eeas.europa.eu/asia/index_en.htm

EU Security and Defence: http://consilium.europa.eu/eeas/security-defence.aspx?lang=en