Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has arrived in Cebu, Philippines, to participate in the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), where he will represent India in discussions on shared regional and international security challenges.

Upon his arrival at Cebu airport on Tuesday night, Singh received a ceremonial welcome from Major General Fabian M. Pedregosa (Retd), Undersecretary of the Philippines Department of National Defence.

Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Harsh Kumar Jain and Defence Attaché Captain ChandraKant Kothari were also present to receive the Defence Minister.

Following his arrival, Singh interacted with members of the Indian community as well as Filipino nationals at his hotel, reflecting the growing people-to-people connections between India and the Philippines.

On Thursday, the Defence Minister will address the ADMM-Plus forum and present India's views on pressing regional and international security issues affecting the Indo-Pacific and wider global environment.

Ahead of the visit, Singh reaffirmed New Delhi’s commitment to deeper engagement with ASEAN and continued support for stability, security and economic growth across the Indo-Pacific under the Act East Policy.

In a message posted on X, he said, “India is firmly committed to ASEAN centrality and the peace, stability, and collective growth of the Indo-Pacific region under our Act East Policy.”

On the sidelines of the summit, Singh is scheduled to hold a series of bilateral meetings with defence counterparts from participating nations. These engagements will include discussions with ministers from the Philippines, the United States, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam and South Korea.

The meetings are expected to review existing defence cooperation, strengthen strategic relationships and explore new opportunities for collaboration in areas of mutual interest.

The ADMM-Plus is regarded as the premier defence consultation and cooperation mechanism linking ASEAN member states with eight Dialogue Partners, including India, the United States, Japan, Australia, China, Russia, South Korea and New Zealand. It serves as an important platform for promoting practical defence cooperation, confidence-building and regional stability.

India has been an ASEAN Dialogue Partner since 1992 and has steadily expanded its security engagement with Southeast Asia. New Delhi's participation in the ADMM-Plus framework highlights its growing strategic role in the region and its support for a rules-based, peaceful and inclusive Indo-Pacific.

The Philippines, which is chairing the ADMM-Plus in 2026, is hosting the high-level gathering in Cebu under the broader objective of strengthening regional cooperation and addressing shared security concerns through dialogue and collaboration.

ANI