Kiev, 2 June 2024 (dpa/MIA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who arrived in Singapore on Saturday on a surprise visit to take part in the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference, has called on the states in the region to attend a peace summit hosted by Switzerland in June.

He had met with both the incoming president of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, and the head of state of East Timor, José Ramos-Horta, to discuss participation in the Swiss conference, Zelensky wrote on Telegram on Saturday.

The Ukrainian president thanked Ramos-Horta for his promise to personally attend the summit scheduled for June 15 and 16. He also hoped for Indonesia's participation at the highest level, Zelensky added.

When arriving for the Shangri-La Dialogue, a high-level security conference in the Asia-Pacific region, Zelensky said that he would participate in the forum and hold bilateral meetings with leaders such as Singapore's President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The Ukrainian president, who is seeking support for the upcoming peace conference in Switzerland, emphasized the importance of including voices from the Asia-Pacific region at the meeting.

Organizers said Zelensky would speak at the Shangri-La Dialogue on Sunday.

Hundreds of ministers, military leaders and defence experts from across the region are due to take part in the annual conference organized by a London-based think tank, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

The Singaporean newspaper reported that Zelensky also hopes to meet with Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun on the fringes of the forum, with the aim of securing China's participation in the Swiss peace talks.

China has been reluctant to commit to the summit, which is being held to discuss pathways for peace in Ukraine. Russia, which invaded its neighbour in February 2022, has not been invited.

Chinese Foreign Office spokeswoman Mao Ning said in Beijing on Friday that China sees a gap between the aims of the conference and its own stance on the conflict.

Photo: EPA