Shangri-La Dialogue

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to tour Indonesia and Singapore from May 29 to June 2.  He is likely to sign key agreements in various sectors with both the nations. He will attend the Shangri-La Dialogue, an inter-governmental security forum held annually, this time in Singapore.

The PM will deliver the key-note address on June 1. This is the first time that an Indian Prime Minister has been invited to deliver the keynote address. The dialogue gives him an opportunity to articulate his thoughts about India's policy on peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region, which will be the focus of his keynote address.

The Shangri-La Dialogue was conceived by the current IISS Director-General and Chief Executive Sir John Chipman in 2001 in response to the clear need for a forum where the Asia Pacific defence ministers could engage in dialogue aimed at building confidence and fostering practical security cooperation.  

The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a world-leading authority on global security, political risk and military conflict. The IISS was founded in the UK in 1958 with a focus on nuclear deterrence and arms control. A registered charity headquartered in London, the IISS also has offices in Washington, Singapore and Manama, Bahrain.

The IISS is a non-partisan organisation, independent of government and other bodies. Its mission is to promote the adoption of sound policies to further global peace and security and maintain civilised international relations. 

Today, IISS is also renowned for 'The Military Balance,' its annual assessment of countries' armed forces, and for its high-powered security summits, including the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue.  It is attended by defense ministers, permanent heads of ministries and military chiefs of 28 Asia-Pacific states. The forum gets its name from the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore where it has been held since 2002.