The Vietnamese leader’s participation in what is considered Asia’s most important defense summit will take place on May 29, when he begins his three-day visit to the island nation at the invitation of Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
His participation in the Shangri-La Dialogue is at the invitation of Bastian Giegerich, Director General and Chief Executive of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the institution that convenes and organizes the event.
Giegerich himself noted on the IISS website that To Lam assumed the presidency of Vietnam at a time of enormous global turbulence, the repercussions of which are being felt throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
He said, “In his first weeks in office, he has committed to sharing Vietnam’s perspective as an emerging strategic power and engaging in dialogue with key global defense policymakers. We are honored that he has chosen the 23rd IISS Shangri-La Dialogue as the platform for this.”
The upcoming edition of this summit, a unique platform for discussion among ministers and senior government officials, as well as business leaders and security experts, on the growing security challenges in Asia, is expected to draw some 550 delegates from more than 40 countries worldwide.
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