Rajnath Singh Puts Forward India's Counter-Terrorism Experience, 'Youth Bridge' Idea at 13th ADMM-Plus in Philippines

Key facts

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) held in Cebu, Philippines, on October 29, 2026, and offered to share India's battle-tested counter-terrorism expertise with ASEAN partners.
• India will share its operational counter-terrorism experience with ADMM-Plus partners through joint exercises, capacity-building programmes and intelligence sharing.
• Singh cited Operation Sindoor as demonstrating India's proactive counter-terrorism doctrine, during which India dismantled terrorist infrastructure and enforced a firm red line against state-sponsored terrorism.
• India and Malaysia are co-chairing the ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Group on Counter-Terrorism for the 2024-2027 cycle.
• Singh proposed a dedicated defence 'Youth Bridge' to strengthen institutional people-to-people connectivity between India and ASEAN countries, promoting digital innovation and capacity building, and the proposal was appreciated by ASEAN members.
• India designated 2026 as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation and conducted the second ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise.
• The Indian Navy has maintained an uninterrupted operational presence in the Gulf of Aden since 2008, escorting thousands of merchant vessels and thwarting dozens of hijacking attempts irrespective of the vessels' flag or nationality.
• Singh reaffirmed India's commitment to ASEAN centrality and a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific, with New Delhi continuing as a reliable net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region and the wider Indo-Pacific.