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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh received a ceremonial Guard of Honour at the Mactan Expo, having arrived at the venue to participate in the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, Philippines.
During the meeting, Singh will address regional and international security issues and explore ways to strengthen defence cooperation and strategic partnerships with participating countries. According to the Ministry of Defence, the ADMM is the highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism within ASEAN. The ADMM-Plus brings together the 11 ASEAN member states, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam and eight Dialogue Partners: India, the United States, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. India became a Dialogue Partner of ASEAN in 1992, while the inaugural ADMM-Plus meeting was held in Hanoi, Vietnam, on October 12, 2010. Since 2017, the defence ministers participating in the forum have been meeting annually to strengthen defence cooperation between ASEAN member states and the eight partner countries. The Philippines is chairing the ADMM-Plus in 2026. India is also co-chairing the Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism with Malaysia for the 2024-2027 cycle. New Delhi's involvement in the multilateral platform highlights its sustained diplomatic engagement with Southeast Asian nations on defence and strategic issues, reinforcing regional partnerships under the broader framework of the Act East Policy. Against this backdrop of multilateral engagements, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday held a series of bilateral talks with defence leaders from the Philippines, South Korea, Japan, the US and Australia on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM)-Plus in Cebu, with discussions focusing on defence cooperation, military technology and regional security. Following his meeting with the Secretary of National Defence of the Philippines, Gilberto C Teodoro Jr., Singh noted that both sides discussed ways to expand their strategic partnership, with particular emphasis on maritime security and joint defence production. "We reviewed our ongoing defence cooperation and discussed avenues to further strengthen our strategic partnership, particularly focusing on maritime security and joint defence production. India remains committed to fostering a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region," Singh posted on X after the meeting with the Secretary of National Defence of the Philippines. Continuing his diplomatic schedule, Singh also met South Korean Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul to discuss the expanding defence partnership between the two countries, including the development of military technologies and efforts to enhance security in the Indo-Pacific. "Had a productive meeting with South Korean (ROK) Minister of National Defence Kang Shin-chul on the sidelines of the 13th #ADMMPlus in Cebu, Philippines. We reviewed our expanding bilateral defence cooperation and discussed ways to co-develop military technologies and strengthen regional security in the Indo-Pacific," he stated in another social media post. In a similar vein, during his meeting with Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, Singh and his counterpart acknowledged the progress achieved in bilateral defence cooperation since their previous meeting in August and discussed advancing the priorities agreed upon during that engagement. Building upon these regional dialogues, Singh also met US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to review the progress of the India-US Major Defence Partnership, with the Ministry of Defence describing the interaction as a "vital opportunity" to assess the partnership's development. As part of the ongoing collaboration, both sides reviewed progress under their foundational security agreements and discussed further steps to improve operational readiness, facilitate technology sharing and strengthen integration between their defence industries. The Ministry of Defence added that regional security and counterterrorism featured prominently in the discussions, with both countries reaffirming their commitment to tackling terrorism and addressing cross-border threats. "A key highlight of the dialogue was the review of regional security, during which both nations strongly emphasised their joint resolve to eliminate the global menace of terrorism. Raksha Mantri stressed that the global community must maintain an uncompromising, zero-tolerance approach towards nations that support, train, or fund terrorist organisations. Secretary Hegseth reaffirmed the United States unwavering solidarity and full support to India in its fight against cross-border terrorism. Raksha Mantri expressed Indias deep appreciation for the consistent and strong support extended by the US," read a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence. Rounding off his bilateral itinerary, the Defence Minister also met Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles on the margins of the ADMM-Plus meeting on Wednesday, with their discussions covering bilateral defence cooperation, military interoperability and regional security challenges. "We had productive discussions on reviewing our bilateral defence cooperation, enhancing military interoperability, and addressing regional security challenges. India places great value on its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia for a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific," he stated after the meeting. (ANI)
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