SINGAPORE: Spy chiefs of nearly two dozen of the world’s major intelligence agencies held a secret meeting on the fringes of the Shangri-La Dialogue security meeting in Singapore this weekend.

“Such meetings are organised by the Singapore government and have been discreetly held at a separate venue alongside the security summit for several years. The meetings have not been previously reported,” a Reuters report said.

“The US was represented by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, the head of her country’s intelligence community, while China was among the other countries present, despite the tensions between the two superpowers.

“Samant Goel, the head of India’s overseas intelligence gathering agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, also attended,” the report said.

No Russian representative was present at the meeting.

“The meeting is an important fixture on the international shadow agenda. Given the range of countries involved, it is not a festival of tradecraft, but a way of promoting a deeper understanding of intentions and bottom lines,” it said.

“There is an unspoken code among intelligence services that they can talk when more formal and open diplomacy is harder - it is a very important factor during times of tension, and the Singapore event helps promote that,” it mentioned.

“Participants including senior officials from intelligence agencies also take the opportunity to meet their counterparts,” the report quoted a spokesperson of Singapore Defence Ministry.

“The Singapore Ministry of Defence may facilitate some of these bilateral or multilateral meetings. Participants have found such meetings held on the sidelines of the (dialogue) beneficial,” it said.