India’s close engagement with key Indo-Pacific partners was on display at the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, the Philippines, as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his counterparts from Japan and Australia.

In a symbolic show of solidarity, Singh shared a photograph alongside Japanese Defence Minister Shinjirō Koizumi and Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles, captioning it: “JAI: Japan, Australia, India”. The image reflected the growing strategic alignment among the three nations in support of a stable Indo-Pacific region.

On the sidelines of the ADMM-Plus gathering, Singh held talks with Koizumi and explored ways to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation between India and Japan.

Following the meeting, Singh stated: “Happy to meet with the Minister of Defence of Japan, Mr. Koizumi Shinjiro, on the sidelines of the 13th ADMM-Plus in Cebu, Philippines.”

Emphasising the broader strategic significance of the partnership, he added: “Our shared commitment remains vital for a free, open, and peaceful Indo-Pacific region.”

Koizumi thanked Singh for the warm welcome and productive discussions, while reaffirming Japan’s commitment to deepening cooperation with India across a range of sectors, including defence.

Singh also held a bilateral meeting with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles. The discussions focused on reviewing ongoing defence cooperation and identifying new avenues for closer coordination between the two countries.

Underscoring the importance of the relationship, Singh said: “India places great value on its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia for a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific.”

The two leaders exchanged gifts as a gesture of goodwill and friendship during their meeting.

Singh also invited Marles to attend Aero India-2027, which is scheduled to take place in Bangalore in February 2027.

The meetings highlighted India’s continued efforts to strengthen defence and security partnerships with like-minded regional powers amid increasing emphasis on maintaining stability, security and freedom of navigation across the Indo-Pacific.

ADMM is ASEAN’s highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism, while ADMM-Plus brings together ASEAN member states and eight dialogue partners: India, the United States, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The platform is designed to promote practical security cooperation, confidence-building and dialogue on regional defence challenges.

ANI