The North News
New Delhi, October 29
India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will attend the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on November 1, where he will address the forum on the theme “Reflection on 15 years of ADMM-Plus and Charting the Way Forward.” The visit underscores India’s growing engagement with ASEAN nations in the defence and security sphere under the government’s Act East Policy.
Ahead of the main event, Singh will participate in the ASEAN-India Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting on October 31, chaired by Malaysia. The informal meeting will include defence ministers from all ASEAN member countries and aims to deepen regional cooperation in defence, maritime security, and counterterrorism. During his two-day visit, the Defence Minister is expected to hold bilateral talks with several counterparts from ADMM-Plus nations and meet senior Malaysian leadership to discuss expanding strategic and military collaboration.
The ADMM serves as the highest consultative and cooperative defence mechanism within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The expanded format, ADMM-Plus, brings together ASEAN’s ten member states — along with Timor Leste — 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, and the first ADMM-Plus was held in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2010. Since 2017, the forum has convened annually to strengthen regional defence and security partnerships. Currently, India is the co-chair of the Experts Working Group on Counter Terrorism with Malaysia for the 2024–2027 cycle. In addition, the second ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise is scheduled to be held in 2026, further reinforcing India’s defence cooperation with the Indo-Pacific region.
