General Lawson attends the Asia-Pacific's premier security summit - General Lawson meets with regional counterparts, attends the Shangri-La Dialogue

News Release

May 31, 2015 - Singapore - Department of National Defence

General Tom Lawson, the Chief of the Defence Staff, represented the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces at the 14^th annual International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Asia Security Summit. Commonly referred to as the Shangri-La Dialogue, it is a crucial venue for dialogue on the security and defence of the region, and is attended by ministers and chiefs of defence from Asia Pacific and beyond.

During the summit, General Lawson took part in a panel discussion entitled “The Armed Forces and New Terrorist Threats.” Other participants in the panel discussion included Senator John McCain, Chairman, Armed Services Committee, US Senate; General Knud Bartels, Chairman, NATO Military Committee; Nigel Inkster, Director of Transnational Threats and Political Risk, IISS; and, Colonel Lu Yin, Associate Research Fellow, Strategic Teaching & Research Department, National Defence University, People's Liberation Army, China.

Quick Facts

The Dialogue provides an opportunity to discuss regional security issues, exchange best practices and discuss opportunities for increasing collaboration in areas such as peacekeeping, civil-military relations, maritime security, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
The Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces are enhancing their engagement in Asia Pacific and continue to build robust ties with partners and allies in the region to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to strengthening peace and security.
On the margins of the conference, General Lawson met with his counterparts from some of Canada’s key partners in the Asia Pacific region including: Singapore’s Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant-General Ng Chee Meng; Commander of U.S. Pacific Command, Admiral Harris; the Political-Military Affairs Bureau at Israel’s Defense Ministry, Major General (Res.) Amos Gilad; Japan’s Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff Council, Admiral Katsutoshi Kawano; and New Zealand’s Chief of Air Force, Air Vice-Marshal Mike Yardley.

Quotes

“As a Pacific nation, Canada is committed to enhancing our engagement with our defence partners, and to strengthening peace and security in the region. This summit provided an excellent opportunity for me to engage in candid dialogue related to these issues, and to broader international security trends, with my counterparts and their representatives from across this region.”
General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff