Vietnam joined the 9th Fullerton Forum in preparations for the Asia Security Summit or the 2021 Shangri-La Dialogue that is set to take place in Singapore on June 4-6.

Lt. Gen. Vu Chien Thang from Vietnam’s Ministry of Defense attends the forum. Photo: QDND

The online forum or Sherpa Meeting, a prelude to the main Shangri-La Dialogue marked the participation of more than 200 defense officials and non-governmental experts from more than 20 Asian-Pacific nations, showing defense policy makers’ discussions on emerging security challenges ahead of the event.

Basing on countries’ concerns, organizers of the 2021 Shangri-La Dialogue will identify issues of great attention to design the agenda for the coming event.

At the Fullerton Forum, Vietnamese representative Lt. Gen. Vu Chien Thang from Vietnam’s Ministry of Defense, delivered a speech on the strategic uses of emerging technologies.

He noted that scientific and technological advances have largely contributed to economic development and ensuring security and defense in each country, while creating a solid foundation for proactive response to impacts of non-traditional security challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, there are also adverse effects that require mechanisms for the application of military scientific and technological advances as well enhancement of international cooperation to manage risks might pose.

Singapore’s Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen has affirmed that the high-level yearly event will be held this year with the attendance by defense ministers and military chiefs from major world powers. The three-day security conference was cancelled in 2020.

The dialogue with the participation of 28 countries, which has taken place every year since 2002, has developed into one of the most important opportunities for regional defense ministers and senior military officers to meet and exchange views on security issues.

The dialogue gathers military representatives from some of the world’s most powerful countries to discuss pressing and significant defense and security issues.

The meeting is a chance for defense ministers, military chiefs and high-ranking defense officials to hold bilateral meetings on its sidelines.

It is also attended by legislators, academic experts, journalists and business delegates from around the globe, making it a vehicle for public policy development and discussions on defense and security in the Asia-Pacific.