Rajnath Singh Offers Counter-Terror Expertise And Proposes India-ASEAN Youth Bridge At ADMM-Plus

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, Philippines. He began by expressing condolences for the four Philippine Air Force pilots who died in an accident on 23 October. Singh reaffirmed India’s commitment to ASEAN centrality, a free and open Indo-Pacific based on international law, and freedom of navigation under UNCLOS.

He highlighted India’s battle-tested counter-terrorism experience, citing last year’s Operation Sindoor as an example of destroying terrorist infrastructure and opposing state-sponsored terror. Singh offered to share this expertise through joint exercises, capacity-building and intelligence cooperation. He also proposed a new India-ASEAN “Youth Bridge” focused on people-to-people ties, digital innovation and youth empowerment, aligning with the meeting’s theme of Youth, Peace and Security.