Senior officials from approximately two dozen of the world's leading intelligence agencies held a clandestine meeting during the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore.

These meetings have been organized for several years by the Singaporean government and have not been previously reported. Among the attendees were U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Samant Goel, head of India's Research and Analysis Wing.

The meeting allowed the representatives to promote deeper understanding of each other's intentions and bottom lines amidst diplomatic tensions.

Key issues discussed included Russia's war in Ukraine and transnational crime. The tone of the meeting was collaborative and cooperative, rather than confrontational.