Rajnath Singh To Lead India’s Delegation At ADMM-Plus in Philippines
Defence Minister to visit the Philippines on October 28–29 for talks on regional security, defence cooperation and strategic partnerships.
- Rajnath Singh to lead India’s ADMM-Plus delegation
- Meeting scheduled in Cebu on October 28–29
- Regional security and defence ties on agenda
- India and Malaysia co-chair counter-terrorism working group
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 26th Oct: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will lead India’s delegation to the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, Philippines, on October 28 and 29, with discussions expected to focus on regional security and defence cooperation.
Singh will address the forum on “Exchange of Views on Regional and International Security Issues”. On the sidelines of the meeting, he is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with defence ministers from participating countries to review existing defence ties and explore ways to strengthen strategic partnerships.
Focus On Regional Security Cooperation
ADMM-Plus is a key platform for defence and security cooperation between the 11 ASEAN member states and eight dialogue partners: India, the United States, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
The forum enables participating countries to exchange views on shared security concerns and strengthen practical cooperation. The ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting is the grouping’s highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism.
India became an ASEAN dialogue partner in 1992, while the inaugural ADMM-Plus meeting was held in Hanoi, Vietnam, on October 12, 2010. Since 2017, defence ministers have met annually to advance cooperation between ASEAN members and their dialogue partners.
India’s Act East Policy In Focus
The Philippines is chairing ADMM-Plus in 2026. India is also co-chairing the Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism with Malaysia for the 2024–2027 cycle.
India’s participation reflects its continued engagement with Southeast Asian countries under the Act East policy, which aims to strengthen regional partnerships and support peace, stability and shared growth.
Singh’s visit is expected to provide an opportunity to discuss existing defence cooperation and identify areas for deeper engagement with participating countries.
