Delegations from more than 20 countries from Asia Pacific, North America and Europe are coming to Singapore for this year's Shangri-la Dialogue, an annual regional security conference, which is to open on Friday evening.

Topics to be identified in the three-day event include responding to the challenges of weapons of mass destruction in the region through diplomacy and deterrence, the region's armed forces and counter-terrorism, as well as maritime security cooperation.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will deliver a keynote speech at the opening reception on Friday night, while US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is scheduled to lead discussions on "the United States and Asia-Pacific security beyond the war on terrorism" on Saturday.

Other eminent participants include Japanese Defense Minister Yoshinori Ono, South Korean Defense Minister Yoon Kwang Ung, Australian Minister for Defense Robert Hill, Philippine Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz, Singapore Defense Minister Teo Chee Hean, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Najib Razak as well as Commander of the US Pacific Command Admiral William Fallon.

Organized by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the dialogue started in 2002 and has been held in Singapore's Shangri-La hotel for the past three years.

"Our goal is to ensure that the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue will continue to serve as the best available vehicle in the Asia-Pacific for developing and channeling astute and effective public policy on defense and security," said the organizer on its website.

According to a recent agreement between the IISS and the Singapore government, the Shangri-La Dialogue will stay in the island state for another three years starting from 2005.

Source: Xinhua