The Shangri-La Dialogue was supposed to be held in Singapore from June 4 to June 5 this year
The Shangri-La Dialogue, which was supposed to happen in Singapore from June 4 to June 5, has officially been cancelled just two weeks ahead of the meeting.
According to a statement by the organiser of the dialogue, it was cancelled due to the deteriorating global Covid-19 situation.
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It read: "It is with regret and sadness that the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) must announce the cancellation of the 2021 Shangri-La Dialogue."
"A wide range of defence ministers, senior officials, corporate leaders and influential strategists from Asia, North America, the Middle East and Europe have confirmed their attendance. The IISS has worked hard with the Government of Singapore, and in particular acted in close consultation with Singapore’s Ministry of Defence, to ensure a successful dialogue this year, despite the challenges of the pandemic," it continued.
The statement added that despite Covid-19, the IISS still strongly believed that face-to-face diplomacy was necessary to be able to solve global problems.
"We continue to hold successful face-to-face events, including the IISS Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, which was convened in 2020, and will take place again on November 19 to November 21, 2021," it said before mentioning that the Covid-19 situation was getting worse in part because of the new Covid-19 variants that have come about.
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"In Singapore, there has been a rise in local cases, the introduction of new restrictions, and the prospect of further tightening cannot be ruled out, all of which creates uncertainty. Taken together these various factors mean that holding an in-person Shangri-La Dialogue this year has become unviable."
The IISS ended their statement by saying that they were still committed to the Shangri-La Dialogue which has been held every year since 2002 until the pandemic disrupted it.
The IISS Asia office in Singapore will also continue with a programme of research and events and will begin to plan the next IISS Fullerton Forum for January 2022. It will also begin preparing for a full in-person Shangri-La Dialogue in the middle of next year.
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