Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Australian counterpart Richard Marles in Cebu to discuss defence cooperation and regional security on the sidelines of the ADMM-Plus, while also inviting him to attend the upcoming Aero India-2027 in Bengaluru.
Bilateral Talks at ADMM-Plus
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday held a bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart, Richard Marles, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus in Cebu. Both leaders discussed ongoing defence engagements, explored opportunities to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation and exchanged views on regional security issues. Both leaders 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.
Rajnath Singh is in Cebu, the Philippines, to attend the ADMM-Plus. He will represent India at the meeting and address the forum on shared regional and international security issues. Ahead of the meeting, he is holding bilateral discussions with his counterparts from participating countries.
Strategic Defence Engagements
Meanwhile, Richard Marles also met his US counterpart, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, in Cebu, Philippines, on the sidelines. In a post on X, he said, “Meeting with @PeteHegseth on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting today, we discussed our shared security priorities in the Indo-Pacific and reaffirmed the progress happening right now in Western Australia under AUKUS. Meeting with @PeteHegseth on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting today, we discussed our shared security priorities in the Indo-Pacific and reaffirmed the progress happening right now in Western Australia under AUKUS. https://t.co/WHkgusYoxG — Richard Marles (@RichardMarlesMP) October 28, 2026
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. ” 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. @SecWar — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) October 28, 2026
Meanwhile, in an earlier post about the same meeting, Hegseth said, “Great meeting with Indian Minister of Defence Singh. We celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Framework for our Major Defence Partnership and explored ways to strengthen cooperation.”
Overview 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. India became the dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1992 and the inaugural ADMM-Plus was convened in Hanoi, Vietnam on October 12, 2010. Since 2017, ADMM-Plus Ministers have been meeting annually to bolster defence cooperation amongst ASEAN and the Plus countries. The Philippines is the chair of ADMM-Plus for 2026.
Under the construct of ADMM-Plus, India is co-chairing the Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism with Malaysia for the cycle 2024-2027. India’s active participation in the ADMM-Plus mechanisms underscores the deepening defence diplomacy in Southeast Asia under the Act East policy, aimed at ensuring peace, stability and collective growth in the region. (ANI)
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