Wed, 28 Oct 2026 · LIVE
Updated Oct 28, 2026 · 00:57
India News Updated Oct 28, 2026

Rajnath Singh in Cebu for ADMM-Plus, bilateral talks with US, Japan

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has arrived in Cebu, Philippines, to attend the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus. He will address the forum on shared regional and international security challenges and hold bilateral talks with counterparts including the US, Japan and Australia. Before leaving, Singh said India remains committed to ASEAN centrality and Indo-Pacific stability under the Act East Policy.

Rajnath Singh to address ADMM-Plus on regional security, hold bilateral meetings with US, Japan, Australia

Cebu, October 28

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Cebu, Philippines, on Tuesday night to attend the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus, where he will address shared regional and international security issues and hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the United States, Japan, Australia and other participating nations.

Upon his arrival at Cebu airport, Singh received a ceremonial welcome from M Gen Fabian M Pedregosa PAF (Retd), Undersecretary of the Department of National Defence of the Philippines. Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Harsh Kumar Jain and Defence Attaché Captain ChandraKant Kothari were also present to welcome the Defence Minister.

Singh later interacted with members of the Indian community and Filipino nationals upon arriving at his hotel.

On Thursday, the Defence Minister will represent India at the ADMM-Plus meeting and address the forum on common regional and international security challenges.

Before departing for Cebu, Singh reiterated India's commitment to strengthening its engagement with ASEAN and promoting stability across the Indo-Pacific region.

In a post 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 meeting, Singh is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with defence counterparts from several participating countries, including the host nation, the Philippines, as well as the United States, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam and South Korea.

— ANI

Reader’s Guide · AI-assisted, based only on the report above

What the report makes clear: India is attending a multilateral defence forum in the Philippines and holding bilateral talks with several partner countries.

Still open: The report does not yet say what specific outcomes or agreements are expected from the bilateral meetings.

Another way to look at it: Deeper defence engagement with multiple partners also raises questions about resources and follow-through commitments.

What should India prioritise in its defence engagement with ASEAN and Indo-Pacific partners?

Reader Voices

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