Singapore : India, on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue 2026, underscored its strategic priorities for a stable and secure Indo-Pacific through high-level diplomatic outreach and academic engagement. In a post on X on Friday, the Ministry of Defence said that the Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh "engaged with leading think tanks and academia on strengthening the Indo-Pacific security architecture, defence industrial collaboration and emerging technology partnerships."
Addressing a distinguished gathering on "India's Defence Diplomacy for a Stable, Secure and Inclusive Indo Pacific", Singh shared "India's vision for regional security and strategic engagement." According to the post, the engagement was also attended by the Indian High Commissioner to Singapore, Shilpak Ambule, highlighting the diplomatic significance of the engagement.
Meanwhile, on Friday (local time), US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth arrived in Singapore to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue, one of the Indo-Pacific region's leading defence and security forums. According to the official advisory issued by the US Department of War, the Singapore visit marks Hegseth's fourth trip to the Indo-Pacific region. During his visit, he is scheduled to meet Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing, in addition to participating in several bilateral and multilateral meetings with regional allies and partners.
Hegseth is also expected to deliver plenary remarks at the dialogue, outlining Washington's forward-looking approach toward safeguarding US strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific region. Alongwith Hegseth, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles, as per the statement by the Australian Defence Ministry, is also travelling to Singapore this week to attend the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue, ahead of his visit to India.
During the Dialogue, the Deputy Prime Minister will address regional maritime security issues during the third plenary session on Asia's Maritime Security Disorder. He will also meet with a range of global and regional defence counterparts, the statement said.
"We remain committed to deepening diplomatic and defence relationships to strengthen cooperation, particularly in the Indo-Pacific," Marles said. Convened annually by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the Shangri-La Dialogue is regarded as Asia's premier defence and security summit. The forum brings together defence ministers, military chiefs, policymakers, business leaders and security experts from across the Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe and West Asia to discuss regional and global security challenges.
According to the event's official website, the dialogue serves as a unique platform for debate and policy discussions on Asia's evolving security landscape, while also providing opportunities for high-level bilateral engagements among participating delegations. The 2026 edition of the dialogue is being held in Singapore from May 29 to 31.