Rajnath Singh to attend ASEAN defence ministers’ meet in Kuala Lumpur this week

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 31 and November 1 to participate in the 12^th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus).

On November 1, the Defence Minister will address a special session on the theme ‘Reflection on 15 years of ADMM-Plus and Charting the Way Forward’, highlighting India’s vision for a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific.

On the sidelines of the main event, the second ASEAN-India Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting will take place on October 31 under Malaysia’s chairmanship. Defence Ministers from all ASEAN member states are expected to attend. The meeting aims to deepen strategic and security cooperation between India and ASEAN countries and further advance the Act East Policy.

During his visit, Singh is also scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with his counterparts from various ADMM-Plus nations and the senior leadership of Malaysia to explore new avenues of defence collaboration.

The ADMM is ASEAN’s highest platform for defence consultations and cooperation. ADMM-Plus brings together ASEAN’s 11 member nations — Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam — along with eight dialogue partners: India, the US, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Since becoming an ASEAN dialogue partner in 1992, India has consistently worked to build robust regional partnerships through the ADMM-Plus, first convened in Hanoi, Vietnam, in October 2010. The forum has been held annually since 2017.

Under the current ADMM-Plus framework, India is co-chairing the Experts Working Group on Counter Terrorism with Malaysia for the 2024–27 cycle. The second edition of the ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise is planned for 2026, further strengthening maritime cooperation and regional security.