NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday reiterated India’s position on the Indo-Pacific, stating that the country’s emphasis on the “rule of law” is not directed against any third nation.
“India’s emphasis on the rule of law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and its advocacy for freedom of navigation and overflight in the Indo-Pacific, are not directed against any country but are meant to safeguard the collective interests of all regional stakeholders,” said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during the 12th ADMM-Plus in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Saturday.
Addressing the forum on ‘Reflection on 15 years of ADMM-Plus and Charting a Way Forward’, he asserted that India’s strategic engagement with ASEAN is not transactional but long-term and principle-driven, resting on a shared belief that the Indo-Pacific should remain open, inclusive and free from coercion.
Highlighting that the emphasis on “Inclusivity and Sustainability” under Malaysia’s chairmanship is timely and relevant, the Defence Minister stated that inclusivity in security means ensuring that all nations, regardless of size or capacity, have a role in shaping the regional order and deriving benefits from it.
He added that sustainability implies building security architectures that are resilient to shocks, adaptable to emerging threats and rooted in long-term cooperation rather than short-term alignment.
“For India, these principles resonate with its own strategic outlook. India’s security vision for the Indo-Pacific integrates defence cooperation with economic development, technology sharing and human resource advancement. The interlinkages between security, growth and sustainability define India’s approach to partnership with ASEAN,” he said.
Describing ADMM-Plus as an essential component of India’s ‘Act East Policy’ and broader Indo-Pacific vision, Rajnath Singh emphasised that defence cooperation with ASEAN and the Plus countries is viewed as a contribution to regional peace, stability and capacity building.
“As the ADMM-Plus enters its 16th year, India stands ready to deepen cooperation in all areas of mutual interest to promote dialogue over discord, and to strengthen regional mechanisms that ensure peace and stability. The experience of the past fifteen years offers clear lessons: inclusive cooperation works, regional ownership builds legitimacy, and collective security strengthens individual sovereignty. These principles will continue to guide India’s approach to the ADMM-Plus and to ASEAN in the years ahead. We’re ready to continue contributing constructively through dialogue, partnership, and practical cooperation, in the spirit of ‘Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth across Regions (MAHASAGAR)’,” he said.
The Defence Minister pointed out that India’s engagement with ASEAN predates the ADMM-Plus, but the mechanism has provided a structured defence platform that complements the diplomatic and economic aspects of its outreach.
The elevation of the ASEAN-India partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022 reflected not only the maturity of political ties but also a growing alignment of regional priorities, he said.
Highlighting that India has been an active and constructive participant since the inception of the ADMM-Plus, Rajnath Singh said: “We’ve had the privilege of co-chairing three Expert Working Groups — on Humanitarian Mine Action with Vietnam from 2014 to 2017, on Military Medicine with Myanmar from 2017 to 2020, on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief with Indonesia from 2020 to 2024, and currently, on Counter-Terrorism with Malaysia for the 2024–2027 cycle.”
Rajnath Singh added that, over the years, India has taken an active part in several Experts’ Working Groups, hosting and participating in field exercises and contributing to the creation of shared operational standards.
“The ADMM-Plus has also helped align India’s initiatives with ASEAN’s strategic outlook, ensuring that India’s engagements reinforce, rather than compete with, ASEAN mechanisms,” he stated.
In general, the integrated theatre formed by combining the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, and the land masses that surround them, is termed the Indo-Pacific.
The South China Sea, considered part of the Indo-Pacific, has witnessed tensions due to contested claims over maritime boundaries, including islands and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). China has been asserting its claims based on alleged historical rights.
Emphasising the rising geopolitical significance of the Indo-Pacific region, while addressing the annual Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue in October 2024, the Defence Minister said that the rapidly evolving global maritime landscape is shaped by shifting power dynamics, resource competition and emerging security threats. He added that the emergence of the Indo-Pacific theatre reflects a visible balancing of global power.
“The Indo-Pacific region has emerged as the world’s most dynamic geopolitical zone and is the centre of gravity of economic and strategic interests. It also carries a degree of pre-existing international tension, rivalry and conflict. While some challenges are of local nature, many challenges have global ramifications. With respect to marine resources, we are witnessing a significant increase in geopolitical competition. As populations continue to grow, the demand for marine resources has surged, leading to heightened tensions and competition among nations,” he added.
As elaborated earlier by The New Indian Express, ADMM is the highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).
ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN member states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam) and its eight dialogue partners (India, the US, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand) to strengthen security and defence cooperation.
India became a dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1992, and the inaugural ADMM-Plus was convened in Hanoi, Vietnam, on October 12, 2010. Since 2017, ADMM-Plus has been held annually to bolster defence cooperation among ASEAN and Plus countries.
