US defense chief to visit Singapore, Cambodia, France next week

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will depart next week for a trip to Singapore, Cambodia, and France, Pentagon said on Friday.

"As part of his tenth official visit to the Indo-Pacific region, Secretary Austin will deliver plenary remarks at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore," Pentagon said in a statement.

Austin will meet with Singapore's new Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and other senior officials, convene a multilateral meeting of his counterparts from Southeast Asia, and participate in a trilateral ministerial meeting with his counterparts from Japan and South Korea.

He is also expected to hold bilateral talks with other counterparts from across the Indo-Pacific region and with Admiral Dong Jun, Chinese national defense minister, following their April 16 discussion via video teleconference.

While in Cambodia, the US defense chief will meet with senior officials following his November 2022 visit to Phnom Penh for the ASEAN Defense Minister's Meeting-Plus, Pentagon said, adding the trip to the Indo-Pacific comes as the Pentagon continues to strengthen US ties with allies and partners in support of a shared regional vision for peace, stability, and deterrence.

Austin will conclude his trip in France, where he will mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day by participating in several commemorative events.