Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to attend ASEAN meeting in Philippines

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will lead the Indian delegation at 13th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) - Plus in Philippines' Cebu from October 28-29, the Ministry of Defence stated on Monday. Singh will address the forum on 'Exchange of Views on Regional and International Security Issues' and hold meetings with his counterparts from participating nations on the sidelines of the event. At ADMM-Plus, he will also review the ongoing defence ties with the nations and explore ways to further strengthen strategic partnerships.

"The ADMM is the highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism in ASEAN. ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN member states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam) and its eight Dialogue Partners (India, US, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand) to strengthen security and defence cooperation," the ministry mentioned in a statement.

India became the dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1992, and the first ADMM-Plus was held in Vietnam's Hanoi in 2010. Since 2017, ADMM-Plus Ministers have been meeting each year to bolster defence cooperation amongst ASEAN and the Plus countries.

The Philippines is the chair of ADMM-Plus for 2026. Under the construct of ADMM-Plus, India is co-chairing the Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism with Malaysia for the cycle 2024-2027. India's active participation in the ADMM-Plus mechanisms demonstrates the deepening defence diplomacy in Southeast Asia under India's Act East policy, aimed at ensuring peace, stability and collective growth in the region.

Last month, Indian Naval Ships Sahyadri and Kulish reached Subic Bay port in the Philippines to participate in the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus Joint Cooperation Activity (JCA).

The visit was in line with the Indian government's Act East Policy and the vision of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions), underscoring India's India’s continued commitment to multilateral maritime cooperation and constructive engagement with regional partners, according to the statement from the Ministry of Defence.

The ADMM-Plus JCA brought together maritime forces from ASEAN Member States and eight Plus countries for professional and operational engagements aimed at enhancing interoperability, fostering mutual understanding and strengthening cooperation in the maritime domain.

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