Rajnath Singh to Attend ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Malaysia
New Delhi: In the official statement made by the Ministry of Defense, it was stated that Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will go to Kuala Lumpur to attend the 12th ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) planned to be held in Malaysia on November 1.
In a post on
He added that he will give a speech at the forum titled “Reflections on 15 Years of ADMM Plus and Chart of the Way Forward”.
Singh stated on the sidelines that the second edition of the ASEAN-India Defense Ministers Informal Meeting, chaired by Malaysia, will be held on October 31, where Defense Ministers from all ASEAN member countries will participate. The meeting aims to further strengthen defense and security cooperation between ASEAN member states and India and advance the ‘Activate Eastern Policy’.
During the two-day visit, Singh is also expected to hold bilateral talks with his counterparts from participating ADMM Plus countries and senior leaders of Malaysia.
ADMM is the highest defense consultation and cooperation mechanism of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). The ADMM Plus framework brings together ASEAN member states, including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam, and eight Dialogue Partners (India, US, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand) to strengthen security and defense cooperation.
India became a dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1992 and the first meeting of ADMM Plus was held in Hanoi, Vietnam, on 12 October 2010. ADMM Plus has been held annually since 2017 to enhance regional security cooperation.
In this context, India is co-chairing the Counter-Terrorism Experts Working Group with Malaysia for the period 2024-2027. The second edition of the ASEAN-India Naval Exercise is planned to be held in 2026.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently spoke virtually at the ASEAN India Summit, reaffirming cooperation on counter-terrorism, maritime security and early review of the ASEAN India Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
The Prime Minister and ASEAN leaders reviewed the progress in ASEAN-India relations and discussed initiatives to strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
In support of Malaysia’s presidential theme of “Inclusion and Sustainability”, Prime Minister Modi announced that India is continuing with the implementation of the ASEAN India Action Plan (2026-2030) and the adoption of the ASEAN India Joint Leaders’ Declaration on Sustainable Tourism on the occasion of the ASEAN India Tourism Year.
Earlier, during his visit to Kuala Lumpur, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s full commitment to ensuring a peaceful, progressive and prosperous future for the Indo-Pacific region.
Addressing the East Asia Summit in Malaysia on Monday, Jaishankar said, “India values the contribution of EAS to peace, progress and prosperity” and looked forward to its positive outcomes.
