Japan defense minister to attend security talks in Singapore

May 29 06:56 AM US/Eastern

TOKYO, May 29 (AP) - (Kyodo)—Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba will leave for Singapore on Friday to attend international security talks and meet with his U.S. counterpart Robert Gates as well as other officials, Defense Ministry officials said Thursday.

Photo: Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba

Ishiba plans to make a speech Saturday at a plenary session of the three-day Shangri-La Dialogue organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a British think tank, the officials said.

Ishiba and Gates are expected to meet Saturday on the sidelines of the event to discuss issues including the ongoing realignment of U.S. military facilities in Japan.

Ishiba will also meet with British Defense Secretary Des Browne and Australian Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon among his other counterparts Sunday, the officials said.