India To Reaffirm Act East Policy As Rajnath Singh To Attend 12th ADMM-Plus In Malaysia

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will represent India at the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 1 November 2025, the Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday (29 October).

During the ministerial forum, Singh will deliver an address on the theme “Reflection on 15 Years of ADMM-Plus and Charting the Way Forward”, highlighting India’s perspective on regional defence cooperation, maritime security, and the Indo-Pacific vision.

Ahead of the main ADMM-Plus session, the second edition of the ASEAN-India Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting will be held on 31 October, under the chairmanship of Malaysia.

Defence Ministers from all ASEAN member countries are expected to participate in the meeting, which aims to enhance defence and security collaboration between ASEAN nations and India, while further advancing India’s Act East Policy.

During the two-day visit, the Defence Minister is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from various ADMM-Plus countries, as well as senior Malaysian leadership, to discuss areas of mutual interest, strategic cooperation, and emerging security challenges.

The ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) is the highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The ADMM-Plus, established in 2010, extends this framework to include eight Dialogue Partners — India, the United States, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand — alongside the ten ASEAN member states: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam.

The inaugural ADMM-Plus was held in Hanoi, Vietnam, on 12 October 2010.

Since 2017, the meeting has become an annual event, serving as a key platform to strengthen regional defence cooperation and strategic dialogue across the Indo-Pacific.

India became a Dialogue Partner of ASEAN in 1992 and has remained an active participant in ADMM-Plus activities.

Currently, India serves as the co-chair of the Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism with Malaysia for the 2024-2027 cycle, reaffirming its commitment to tackling regional security threats through collaboration and capacity building.

Additionally, the second edition of the ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise is scheduled to be conducted in 2026, reflecting growing naval coordination and operational synergy between India and Southeast Asian partners.

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