DILI, 29 May 2026 (TATOLI) – The President of the Republic and Nobel Peace Laureate, J. Ramos-Horta, departed for Singapore today, to attend the 23rd Asia Security Summit, also known as the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue. The President will be in Singapore from May 29 to May 31, 2026.
The Summit is widely recognized as the premier forum for defense and security dialogue in the Asia-Pacific region, bringing together senior government officials, defense ministers, and security experts from across the globe to address critical regional and international security challenges.
Upon his arrival on May 29, President Ramos-Horta will hold a bilateral meeting with the President of Vietnam, H.E. To Lam, with the aim of strengthening diplomatic ties and exploring areas of mutual cooperation.
On May 30, President Ramos-Horta will attend the opening of the 23rd Asia Security Summit.
Plenary session will feature multiple plenary sessions covering topics ranging from United States strategy for peace in the Indo-Pacific, priorities within Asia’s shifting strategic landscapes, Asia’s maritime security disorder, cross-regional security threats, alongside special sessions addressing the management of threats to strategic stability, the enhancement of littoral security in Asia, and the building of defense-industrial resilience.
President Ramos-Horta will deliver the Special Address on conflict mediation and resolution in today’s fractured world, drawing on his personal experience working to bring conflicting parties together in any effort toward conflict resolution. The address will be followed by a Q&A session chaired by Sir John Chipman KCMG, Executive Chairman of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
“Timor-Leste comes not only to learn but also to contribute, drawing from our own journey from conflict to peace, the defense of democracy, and the transformation of a nation. I am honored to return to the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue to deliver the Special Address on conflict mediation in our fractured world. This Dialogue is where Asia’s strategic futures are debated,” stated President J. Ramos-Horta.
Also on May 30, President Ramos-Horta will meet with H.E. Florian Hahn, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany, to deepen bilateral relations between Timor-Leste and Germany. Timor-Leste expressed its support for Germany’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, while Germany supports Timor-Leste’s preparations for its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2029.
On May 31, the President will meet with Mr. Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia editor of The Times and The Sunday Times, followed by a meeting with Mr. Zach Du Chao and Madam Hong Nguyen Suong from The Victory Group.
On That afternoon, President Ramos-Horta depart Singapore for Jakarta, where he deliver the fourth leadership lecture at the ERIA School of Government on June 2, before returning to Dili on June 3, 2026.
TATOLI
