Sunday 04 June 2023
Shangri-La dialogue of a different kind Spy chiefs secretly meet in Singapore
In addition to the official program, there are also encounters that are not confirmed.
(Photo: dpa)
There are many opportunities to engage with each other at the Asia-Pacific Security Meeting in Singapore. In addition to the official channels, the various states also use the unofficial ones. So it comes to a high-level secret meeting.
Senior officials from about two dozen of the world’s top intelligence agencies have met for a secret event on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, insiders said. “The meeting is an important part of the international shadow agenda,” said one of the people familiar with the matter. “Given the large number of countries involved, it is not a festival of negotiations, but rather a way to gain a deeper understanding of interests and goals.”
There is an unspoken code among the secret services, “they can talk when more formal and open diplomacy is more difficult,” it said. This is a very important factor in times of tension and the Singapore event is helping to promote this. The tone of the meeting was collegial and cooperative rather than confrontational, another person said.
The US was represented by the Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, and China was also represented despite tensions between the two superpowers. Samant Goel, head of India’s foreign intelligence agency, was also present, an Indian source said.
Indirect Confirmation
“Participants in the Shangri-La Dialogue, including senior intelligence officials, are taking the opportunity to meet their counterparts,” a spokesman for Singapore’s defense ministry said. Such meetings are organized by the Singapore government and have been held discreetly at a separate location alongside the security summit for several years, said a person familiar with the matter.
The US Embassy in Singapore said it had no information about the meeting. The Chinese and Indian governments did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Source: ntv.de
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