New Delhi: Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh met Dr Bastian Giegerich, Director-General and Chief Executive of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), London, during a courtesy call in New Delhi on November 10, 2026. The interaction focused on strengthening exchanges between strategic communities, defence experts and academic institutions in India and Europe.
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During the meeting, Giegerich briefed the Defence Secretary on key IISS initiatives, including the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, one of the major international forums for discussions on regional security and defence cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. Discussions also covered proposed IISS events in India, reflecting the institute's interest in expanding its engagement with the country's strategic and policy communities.
The two sides explored opportunities to strengthen intellectual exchanges and promote greater interaction between defence researchers, academics, policymakers and strategic affairs experts. Such engagements provide platforms for discussing evolving geopolitical developments, regional security challenges and emerging defence priorities.
Headquartered in London, the IISS is an independent international institute specialising in research on defence, security and geopolitical affairs. It organises major international forums, including the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, which brings together defence ministers, military leaders, policymakers and security experts from across the world.
The interaction highlighted India's growing engagement with international strategic institutions and its efforts to expand defence diplomacy beyond conventional military cooperation through research, policy dialogue and academic exchanges.
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