Commander of the Navy attends IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore

The Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera attended the 21st Asia Security Summit - IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, organized by International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). The 21st Asia Security Summit was held from 31st May to 02nd June 2024 at the Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore.

IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, organized annually by IISS, is Asia's premier defence summit. It’s a unique meeting where stakeholders debate the region’s most pressing security challenges, engage in important bilateral talks and come up with fresh approaches together.

This year's summit was attended by a large group of representatives from regional and extra-regional states, defence chiefs, chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force as well as many experts in the field participated in the summit. The summit featured a packed schedule with a simultaneous special session and seven plenary sessions.

The themes for the first day (31st May) of the conference were; Deterrence and Reassurance in the Asia-Pacific, Defence Cooperation and Small State Security and Myanmar: Opportunities for Diplomacy amid Different Visions for Peace.

The second day (01st June) of the conference dove into themes such as; United States’ Strategic Partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, Enhancing Crisis Management Amid Rising Competition, Building Cooperative Security in the Asia-Pacific, Cross-Regional Security Order Challenges, Maritime Law Enforcement and Confidence Building, AI, Cyber Defence and Future Warfare and Coordinating Global Humanitarian Operations.

The third day (02nd June) of the conference focused on China's Approach to Global Security, Connecting Indian Ocean and Pacific Security and Re-Imagining Solutions for Global Peace and Regional Stability.

Beyond his participation in the conference, Sri Lanka's Navy Chief, Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera, engaged in bilateral discussions with stakeholders. These discussions served as a platform to exchange views on critical issues of maritime security.

The Sri Lanka Navy's involvement in security summits of this nature fosters a more collaborative approach to regional maritime security. By engaging with partner nations, the Navy can share best practices with each other and forge healthy partnerships.