IndiaPosted at: Oct 26 2026 4:40PM


Rajnath Singh to lead Indian delegation at 13th Asean Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus in Philippines

New Delhi, Oct 26 (UNI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will lead the Indian delegation at the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus in Cebu, Philippines, on October 28 and 29, with regional security challenges and ways to deepen defence cooperation expected to figure prominently in the deliberations.
Singh will address the forum on “Exchange of Views on Regional and International Security Issues” and hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from participating countries on the sidelines of the meeting, the Defence Ministry said on Monday.
The bilateral engagements will provide an opportunity to review existing defence cooperation and explore avenues to strengthen strategic partnerships with India’s regional and international partners.
The ADMM-Plus brings together the 11 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its eight dialogue partners, India, the United States, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, to promote dialogue and practical cooperation on regional security and defence issues.
The ADMM is ASEAN’s highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism, while the ADMM-Plus provides a broader platform for engagement between Southeast Asian nations and major regional and international powers.
The Philippines is chairing the ADMM-Plus in 2026. The forum has been an important platform for strengthening multilateral defence engagement, with its ministers meeting annually since 2017 to advance cooperation among ASEAN members and dialogue partners.
India became an ASEAN dialogue partner in 1992, while the inaugural ADMM-Plus meeting was held in Hanoi, Vietnam, on October 12, 2010.
India is also co-chairing the Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism with Malaysia for the 2024-2027 cycle under the ADMM-Plus framework, reflecting its focus on counter-terrorism cooperation and regional security.
India’s participation in the meeting forms part of its broader defence diplomacy and engagement with Southeast Asia under the Act East policy, which seeks to strengthen strategic partnerships and promote peace, stability and shared growth across the region.
The meeting comes amid the importance of sustained dialogue and cooperation among regional countries on evolving security challenges, with defence partnerships and multilateral engagement remaining key elements of India’s outreach to ASEAN and the wider Indo-Pacific.
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