Defence Minister Rajnath Singh departed for New Delhi on Friday, October 30, after completing his engagements at the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, Philippines. His visit focused on strengthening India’s defence partnerships with Southeast Asian countries, enhancing regional security cooperation and promoting stability across the Indo-Pacific region.
During his participation in the multilateral defence gathering, Singh reaffirmed India’s commitment to working closely with ASEAN member states and their dialogue partners to address evolving regional and international security challenges. He highlighted the importance of collective efforts in maintaining peace, stability and prosperity throughout the Indo-Pacific.
One of the key initiatives highlighted by the Defence Minister was India’s proposal to establish an ‘India-ASEAN Youth Bridge’. The proposed initiative aims to strengthen people-to-people connections between India and ASEAN countries through youth engagement, digital innovation and capacity-building opportunities. Singh emphasised that the young populations of India and Southeast Asian nations represent an important foundation for future regional cooperation and development.
Addressing the security dimension of the discussions, Singh reiterated India’s firm position against terrorism and called for stronger international cooperation to eliminate terrorist networks and their supporting infrastructure. He referred to India’s experience in counter-terrorism operations, including Operation Sindoor, while highlighting the importance of a coordinated regional response to security threats.
On the sidelines of the ADMM-Plus meeting, the Defence Minister held several bilateral discussions with his counterparts from participating countries. These included meetings with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr., South Korean Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul and Singaporean Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing.
His meeting with the US Secretary of War focused on reviewing progress under the 10-year India-US Defence Framework. Both sides discussed opportunities to strengthen military cooperation, improve operational readiness, expand technology sharing and deepen defence industrial collaboration. They also reaffirmed their shared commitment to combating terrorism and maintaining a secure Indo-Pacific region.
Before leaving Cebu, Singh also interacted with members of the Indian diaspora. During the visit, he offered prayers at a Gurudwara and a Hindu temple, highlighting India’s cultural and community connections with the Philippines.
The 13th ADMM-Plus, hosted by the Philippines as the 2026 chair, brought together ASEAN member states and eight dialogue partners, including India, the United States, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The platform serves as an important mechanism for defence consultations, practical cooperation and dialogue on regional security matters.
India’s participation in the meeting reflects its continued efforts to deepen defence diplomacy in Southeast Asia under the Act East Policy. Through bilateral engagements and multilateral platforms such as ADMM-Plus, New Delhi aims to strengthen strategic partnerships, expand security cooperation and contribute to a stable and secure Indo-Pacific region.