Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has reaffirmed India’s commitment to regional security, offering to share the country’s extensive counter-terrorism and maritime security expertise with ASEAN partners. Speaking at the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus held in Cebu, Philippines, on Thursday, the minister underscored that India’s strategic approach is not merely theoretical but rooted in decades of practical, ground-level experience against complex security challenges.
Addressing the assembly, Singh stated that India is fully prepared to collaborate with ADMM-Plus members through joint military exercises, robust intelligence sharing, and targeted capacity-building initiatives. He highlighted that these strategies have been rigorously tested and refined through real-world operations, including past efforts to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and enforce security protocols against state-sponsored threats. India and Malaysia are currently co-chairing the experts’ working group on counter-terrorism for the 2024 to 2027 cycle, reflecting the priority placed on this sector.
Maritime security emerged as a focal point of the minister’s address. Singh noted that 2026 has been designated by India as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation, supported by the second ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise. He asserted that India maintains an active, uninterrupted operational presence in critical corridors like the Gulf of Aden to protect commercial shipping. By deploying frontline warships, the Indian Navy has successfully escorted thousands of merchant vessels and intervened in multiple high-seas hijacking attempts, regardless of the flag or nationality of the affected ships.
During the forum, the Defence Minister also proposed the establishment of a dedicated defence 'Youth Bridge'. This initiative is designed to strengthen institutional, people-to-people connectivity between India and ASEAN nations, while promoting digital innovation and facilitating long-term capacity building. Singh emphasized that the shared demographic aspirations of young populations across these regions provide a vital foundation for a deeper, more sustainable partnership.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the minister held strategic discussions with his counterparts from Japan and Australia, Shinjiro Koizumi and Richard Marles, respectively. The meetings focused on consolidating cooperation under the JAI (Japan-Australia-India) framework, aimed at fostering a secure, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific. Singh reiterated that India’s strategic engagement with ASEAN is rooted in mutual respect and shared interests, aligning with the regional commitment to ASEAN centrality.
Reflecting on the theme of the 13th ADMM-Plus, 'Navigating Our Future, Together', Singh noted that the collective spirit resonates with India's civilizational ethos of global prosperity and well-being. He emphasized that India remains a steadfast practitioner of international maritime laws, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. He clarified that India’s advocacy for freedom of navigation and overflight is intended to safeguard the collective interests of all regional stakeholders who rely on open and stable sea lanes for trade.
As the session concluded, the minister reaffirmed that India will continue to serve as a reliable net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region and the wider Indo-Pacific. By moving beyond rhetoric into effective operational presence, the government aims to ensure that peace and stability remain achievable goals supported by the combined efforts of its regional partners.
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