LAOS: Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Vientiane, Lao PDR, from November 20-22, 2024, to participate in the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus). During the meeting, he will address key issues related to regional and international security.
Bilateral Meetings to Enhance Defence Cooperation
On the sidelines of the ADMM-Plus meeting, Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with his counterparts from several countries, including Australia, China, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, and the United States. These meetings aim to further strengthen India’s bilateral defence cooperation with these nations.
ADMM and ADMM-Plus: Key Platforms for Regional Security
The ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) is the highest-level consultative and cooperative defence mechanism within ASEAN. The ADMM-Plus is a platform that brings together the 10 ASEAN member states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) and eight Dialogue Partners (India, the US, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand) to enhance security and defence cooperation.
India’s Role in ASEAN Defence Dialogue
India became a Dialogue Partner of ASEAN in 1992. The inaugural ADMM-Plus was held in Hanoi, Vietnam, on October 12, 2010. Since 2017, the ADMM-Plus ministers have been meeting annually to strengthen cooperation between ASEAN and the Plus countries. This year, Laos will chair and host the 11th ADMM-Plus meeting.