New Zealand Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee will be holding bilateral talks with counterparts from China and Southeast Asia at the 15th annual Shangri- La Dialogue in Singapore this weekend.
"The Shangri-La Dialogue provides a unique opportunity to engage with a range of regional partners to discuss the key security challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region and how best to tackle them," Brownlee said in a statement Thursday.
As well as attending dialogue sessions, he will hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from China, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, France and the United Kingdom.
"New Zealand has a proud history of active defence engagement in the Asia-Pacific region," Brownlee said.
"As a trade-dependent island nation, our economic prosperity and development is underpinned by a stable and secure Asia-Pacific region."
The Shangri-La Dialogue brings together defense ministers, military chiefs and senior officials from around the Asia-Pacific to discuss security issues in the region, and around 30 countries are attending this year.
Brownlee would be accompanied by Chief of Defence Force Tim Keating.
