The fifth annual Asia Pacific Security Innovation (APSI) Summit will be held in Wellington for the first time today with a stellar cast of intentional dignitaries and experts attending the event.

Following the recent Pacific Island Forum and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) diplomats from Timor Leste, Samoa and Papua New Guinea will be discussing issues affecting the region including the growing competition between China and the United States.

Timor Leste Ambassador Felicidade Guterres’ presence is most welcomed as the island nation celebrated 20 years of independence from Indonesian rule this year.

The Tibetan government in exile has also sent a delegation to the event following the first ever visit to New Zealand by their President Penpa Tsering earlier this year to highlight their concerns over the Chinese occupation of Tibet.

Tibetan Minister Nolzin Dolma has been meeting with Australian MPs to encourage them to take a stronger stand against China in the fight against human rights abuses in her nation.

Turkish Ambassador Omur Unsay will be making an address as tensions rise in the Middle East between the United States and Iran following the war that broke out last month between Israel and the Gaza based terrorist group Hamas.

APSI will also be hosting an International Parliamentary Assembly tomorrow discussing a variety of international security concerns featuring representatives from Australia, Lithuania, New Zealand and Tibet.

The conference finishes with the Strategic Discussion Forum in the evening featuring retired NATO commander Major General Gert-Johannes Hagemann and Anthony Grasso, who is now based in New Zealand but served with the Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ) one of the United Kingdom’s leading security agencies.

APSI is one of New Zealand's leading political think tanks with representatives in 36 countries and was set up by Professor Anita Abbott with the goal of encouraging strategic partnerships and alliances to address global problems.

© Scoop Media