French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin attended the 23rd Shangri‑La Dialogue in Singapore from 28 to 30 May 2026. The delegation highlighted maritime security concerns linked to the weakening of international law and collective security frameworks. Vautrin underscored France’s role as a regional stakeholder, citing its 8 000‑troop presence and duty to protect nationals, territories and sea lanes, and support for UNCLOS freedom of navigation. She called for independent coalitions between Europe and the Indo‑Pacific to address shared threats and reaffirmed France’s willingness to deepen ties and participate in forums such as ADMM‑Plus and SPDMM. A session with Singapore underscored partnership, with commitments to interoperability, joint exercises, industrial and technological collaboration, and joint research. The minister signed Singapore’s GUIDE initiative on underwater infrastructure defence. She also met counterparts from Australia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam on defence cooperation and regional security. A link to her speech and media contact details is provided by the Ministry.
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