Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will lead the Indian delegation to the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, Philippines, on October 28 and 29, with regional and international security issues expected to feature prominently in the discussions.
According to the Ministry of Defence, Singh will address the forum and hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from participating countries to review existing defence ties and explore ways to strengthen strategic partnerships.
The Philippines is chairing ADMM-Plus in 2026. The forum brings together the 10 ASEAN member states and eight dialogue partners — India, the United States, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand — to promote defence and security cooperation.
The ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting is the grouping's highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism. The expanded ADMM-Plus format was first convened in Hanoi, Vietnam, on October 12, 2010. Defence ministers have met annually under the framework since 2017.
India became an ASEAN dialogue partner in 1992 and is co-chairing the ADMM-Plus Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism with Malaysia for the 2024–2027 cycle.
The Ministry said India's participation in the meeting reflects its growing defence engagement with Southeast Asia under the Act East policy, which seeks to promote peace, stability and collective growth in the region.