Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met with Australian and US counterparts at the ADMM-Plus in the Philippines, focusing on strengthening bilateral defence ties, military interoperability, and regional security in the Indo-Pacific region.
High-Level Defence Diplomacy in Philippines
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday held a bilateral meeting with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), with discussions focusing on defence cooperation, military interoperability and regional security challenges. In a post on X, Singh said the meeting provided an opportunity to review bilateral defence cooperation and discuss ways to strengthen coordination between the two countries. “Delighted to meet Australia’s Deputy PM & Defence Minister, Mr. @RichardMarlesMP, on the sidelines of the ADMM-Plus meeting today,” Singh said.
Delighted to meet Australia’s Deputy PM & Defence Minister, Mr. @RichardMarlesMP, on the sidelines of the ADMM-Plus meeting today. 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. — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) October 28, 2026 ‘We had productive discussions on reviewing our bilateral defence cooperation, enhancing military interoperability, and addressing regional security challenges,” he added. Emphasising the importance of bilateral ties, Singh said, “India places great value on its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia for a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific.” Both leaders also exchanged gifts as a gesture of goodwill and friendship. During the meeting, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also invited Richard Marles to attend Aero India-2027, scheduled to be held in Bengaluru in February 2027.
Meetings with US Counterpart
Earlier, Rajnath Singh met his US counterpart, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, in Cebu, Philippines, on the sidelines of the 13th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) – Plus. In his post on X, the Defence Minister said, “Had an excellent meeting with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the 13th ADMM-Plus. We reviewed the progress of our 10-year India-US Defence Framework, driving strategic convergence across military technology, information sharing, and co-production. Our robust partnership continues to be a cornerstone for a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific.”
Strategic Significance of ADMM-Plus
Rajnath Singh is leading the Indian delegation at the 13th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Plus in Cebu, Philippines, from October 28 to 29. He will address the forum on ‘Exchange of Views on Regional and International Security Issues’. On the sidelines of ADMM-Plus, Raksha Mantri is also holding bilateral meetings with his counterparts of participating countries. He will review the ongoing defence ties with the nations and explore ways to further strengthen strategic partnerships.
The ADMM is the highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism in ASEAN. ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN member states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam) and its eight Dialogue Partners (India, US, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand) to strengthen security and defence cooperation. (ANI)
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