Marcos arrives in Singapore to speak at Asia’s top defense summit

Malacañang photo

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived in Singapore on Wednesday afternoon after a two-day state visit in Brunei.

The President is in Singapore as a keynote speaker at the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier defense summit.

The summit, which is a gathering of defense ministers, military leaders and senior defense officials, including business leaders and security experts from across the Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America and beyond is expected to draw 550 delegates from 40 countries “to discuss critical security challenges,” according to IISS.

Mr. Marcos, who will be the first Philippine President to speak at the forum, said his participation at the event would be “highly significant.”

“I think the Philippines’ position is going to be very important in the decision-making of many of the policy makers around the world,” he said, referring to Manila’s stand in the South China Sea dispute.

Dr. Bastian Giegerich, director-general and chief executive of the IISS, earlier said that the Philippines, under Mr. Marcos, “has elevated its contribution to regional stability and security.”

READ: Marcos arrives in Brunei for two-day state visit

Previous speakers at the summit include Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

While in Singapore, Mr. Marcos will also meet with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

He will also have a brief meeting with former Prime Minister and currently Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue.

The President’s visit to Singapore is his 28th overseas trips since he assumed office on June 30, 2022.