India Offers Counter-Terrorism Expertise to ASEAN Partners

India offered to share its counter-terrorism expertise with ASEAN member states and their dialogue partners at the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, the Philippines. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made the offer on 29 October 2026, during the meeting held on 28 and 29 October.

ADMM-Plus Framework

ADMM-Plus is a defence cooperation forum comprising the defence ministers of ASEAN and eight dialogue partners: Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States. The first ADMM-Plus meeting took place in 2010. India and Malaysia co-chair the Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism for the 2024–2027 cycle.

Counter-Terrorism Cooperation

Singh proposed sharing expertise through joint military exercises, capacity-building programmes and intelligence sharing. He cited Operation Sindoor, conducted in May 2025, as an example of India’s counter-terrorism approach. He said the operation destroyed terrorist infrastructure and represented India’s position against state-sponsored terrorism. Singh also referred to India’s experience addressing cross-border security challenges.

Maritime Security and UNCLOS

At the meeting, Singh described India’s vision of a secure and resilient Indo-Pacific and its role as a trusted net security provider in the Indian Ocean region and the wider Indo-Pacific. He called for freedom of navigation and overflight, and adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Singh also raised India’s concerns about the US F-16 package for Pakistan and cross-border terrorism with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who reaffirmed US support in combating cross-border terrorism.

Important Facts for Exams

• ASEAN was established in 1967 through the Bangkok Declaration.
• The first ADMM-Plus meeting was held in 2010.
• UNCLOS was adopted in 1982 and entered into force in 1994.
• India and Malaysia co-chair the ADMM-Plus Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism for 2024–2027.

Operation Sindoor took place in May 2025.