The Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( MFA ) announced in a press release that Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will give the keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Friday ( May 31 ).
This may make him the first , Spanish head of state to do so at Asia’s best military conference.
Major defense officials from all over the world are gathered for the 21st edition of the Shangri-La Dialogue to discuss pressing security issues.
Former presentation speakers include American Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and then-Indian Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Mr Marcos Jr, who is in the country from Wednesday to Saturday, may be accompanied by his wife, Second Lady Louise Araneta- Marcos, and a higher- level Asian delegation.
During his visit, Mr Marcos Jr may call on Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, said MFA.
He may also meet Mr. Lee, a senior minister, and recently elected finance minister Lawrence Wong.  ,
Mr. Marcos Jr. invited previous President Halimah Yacob to a previous trip to Singapore in September 2022. Since taking office in June, he has made his second state visit to the nation.
Singapore and the Philippines furthermore signed a number of bilateral agreements during their visit to strengthen cooperation in fields like terrorism, the electronic industry, and personal data security.
Mr Marcos Jr visited Singapore suddenly last September to talk at the , 10th Eastern Summit organised by the US- based , Milken Institute. Additionally, he continued to watch the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix.
The 55th anniversary of the establishment of political relations between the two nations is this year.  ,
Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo unveiled a symbol to honor the milestone during a working trip to the Philippines in April.  ,
Dr. Balakrishnan stated therefore that Singapore and the Philippines are interested in boosting collaboration in areas like innovation, bright and lasting infrastructure, and the natural economy.