Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held talks with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, Philippines, as India and the United States reviewed progress under their growing strategic defence partnership.

The meeting marked one year since the signing of the Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership, a ten-year roadmap designed to deepen military cooperation, strengthen interoperability and expand collaboration across a range of defence sectors.

Following the discussions, Hegseth described it as a productive engagement, stating, “Great meeting with Indian Minister of Defence Singh. We celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Framework for our Major Defence Partnership and explored ways to strengthen cooperation.”

Singh also characterised the talks as constructive, noting that both sides assessed progress under the 10-year India-US Defence Framework. He said the partnership is driving strategic convergence in military technology, information sharing and co-production, adding that it remains “a cornerstone for a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific.”

The framework, signed by the two leaders in 2025, is intended to provide long-term policy direction for defence ties between the two countries. It builds upon earlier defence cooperation agreements and is aimed at expanding collaboration across land, maritime, air, space and cyber domains while encouraging closer industrial cooperation and joint initiatives.

Alongside his meeting with Singh, Hegseth also held discussions with senior defence representatives from South Korea, Australia and Japan. Reflecting on his meeting with South Korean Defence Minister Kang, he said the US-ROK alliance is founded on “peace through strength-ready forces, decisive capability, and combined lethality that deters aggression,” adding that America stands with allies committed to strengthening their own defence capabilities.

After meeting Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, Hegseth said the two countries were working together to optimise their alliance, strengthen deterrence and deliver tangible outcomes.

He also met Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, describing the engagement as an effort to advance a shared vision of “peace through strength”. Hegseth emphasised the importance of deeper strategic alignment through increased investment, improved access, more realistic training and stronger munitions production.

Singh arrived in Cebu on Tuesday evening to participate in the ADMM-Plus gathering, where regional leaders are discussing a range of common security and strategic challenges facing the Indo-Pacific.

On arrival, he received a ceremonial welcome from Major General Fabian M. Pedregosa PAF (Retd), Undersecretary of the Philippine Department of National Defence. Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Harsh Kumar Jain and Defence Attaché Captain ChandraKant Kothari were also present.

The Defence Minister later interacted with members of the Indian community and Filipino nationals at his hotel.

During his visit, Singh is scheduled to hold a series of bilateral meetings with counterparts from the United States, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, South Korea and the host nation, the Philippines, with a focus on strengthening defence ties and expanding strategic cooperation.

On Thursday, he will represent India at the ADMM-Plus forum and address participating nations on regional and international security issues.

Before departing for the Philippines, Singh reiterated India's commitment to ASEAN centrality and regional stability, stating, “India is firmly committed to ASEAN centrality and the peace, stability, and collective growth of the Indo-Pacific region under our Act East Policy.”

The ADMM-Plus remains one of the Indo-Pacific’s most important security platforms, bringing together ASEAN members and key dialogue partners to advance defence cooperation, address shared challenges and promote regional stability.

ANI