Defense minister represents Kuwait in Shangri-La Dialogue

SINGAPORE: US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth affirmed on Saturday that the Gulf states are among the United States’ allies, stressing that the “America First” policy does not mean “America alone,” but rather working alongside allies—including the Gulf countries—to achieve shared security.

His remarks came during a speech at the opening session of the 22nd edition of the Asian Security Summit held within the framework of the Shangri-La Dialogue, attended by Kuwaiti Minister of Defense Sheikh Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al-Sabah, along with defense ministers, military leaders, and security experts from 47 countries.

Hegseth stated, “As I’ve said many times before, and it’s important for this room to hear today, and all the world — America First certainly does not mean America alone. Especially alongside so many of our allies, model allies like Poland, (the Zionist entity), and the Gulf States, the Baltic States. And it does not mean ignoring the world. “

Sheikh Abdullah holds a conversation with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

SINGAPORE: Kuwaiti Minister of Defense Sheikh Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al-Sabah participated in the the 22nd edition of the Asian Security Summit held in Singapore.

High-level meetings

In a statement released Saturday, Sheikh Abdullah said that the first day of the summit featured a series of meetings between heads of state, government officials, and defense ministers. During this, he met with Zaqy Mohamad, Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Defense and for Sustainability and the Environment.

The ministry added that the meeting explored ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries, particularly in military and security affairs. The two sides also discussed several topics of mutual interest, as well as regional and international issues.

During the meeting, Sheikh Abdullah extended congratulations on the occasion of Singapore’s 60th anniversary of independence and praised the deep and longstanding bilateral relationship, which began 40 years ago. He affirmed the strength of Kuwait-Singapore relations and the importance of expanding cooperation, especially in defense and security sectors.

On the sidelines of the summit, Sheikh Abdullah also held cordial conversations and bilateral discussions with several world leaders and senior defense officials. He met with French President Emmanuel Macron, President of Timor-Leste José Ramos-Horta, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Singaporean Minister for Communications and Information and Minister-in-charge of Cybersecurity Josephine Teo. These meetings included exchanges of views on strategic challenges at regional and international levels and ways to enhance joint efforts to support global peace and stability.

The agenda of the Shangri-La Dialogue includes discussions on global challenges such as maintaining balance in a competitive world, managing nuclear proliferation risks, and cybersecurity. Parallel sessions will also cover topics like defense innovation, maritime security, and managing regional crises.

Kuwait’s Ambassador to Singapore, Ahmad Al-Shuraim, and the accompanying delegation attended the meetings alongside Minister Sheikh Abdullah. — Agencies