US Defense Secretary to attend Shangri La Dialogue

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will attend the Shangri-La Dialogue Asian security summit due to be held in Singapore next month, organisers said, after the annual meeting was cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This year's event, which is being arranged by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), is scheduled to take place from June 4-5. "It marks the Secretary's first trip to Southeast Asia, and as well as delivering his on-therecord speech, he will also conduct bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit," IISS said.