ADMM-Plus 2026: Rajnath Singh to lead India at 13th meet in Cebu
Why in the news
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will head India’s delegation at the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, Philippines, on 28-29 October 2026.
Key facts
- Venue and chair: Cebu, Philippines; the Philippines chairs ASEAN for 2026.
- India’s address: Rajnath Singh will speak on “Exchange of Views on Regional and International Security Issues”.
- Bilaterals: he will meet counterparts on the sidelines to review defence ties and deepen strategic partnerships.
- Counter-terrorism: India co-chairs the Experts’ Working Group on Counter-Terrorism with Malaysia for the 2024-2027 cycle.
- Act East: India’s participation reflects its Act East policy.
Members of ADMM-Plus
| Group | Countries |
|---|---|
| ASEAN (11) | Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam |
| Dialogue Partners (8) | India, US, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand |
About ADMM and ADMM-Plus
The ADMM is ASEAN’s top consultative and cooperative mechanism on defence. ADMM-Plus extends it to eight Dialogue Partners to build security and defence cooperation. The first ADMM-Plus took place in Hanoi, Vietnam, on 12 October 2010, and its ministers have met annually since 2017. India became an ASEAN Dialogue Partner in 1992.
Exam angle
- 13th edition: Cebu, Philippines, 28-29 October 2026.
- First meeting: Hanoi, 2010; annual since 2017.
- India + Malaysia: counter-terrorism EWG co-chairs, 2024-2027.