Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to attend ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus in Vientiane, Laos

On the sidelines of 11th ADMM-Plus meeting, he is expected to hold bilateral meetings with participating counterparts from Australia, China, Japan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Republic of Korea and USA. 

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be visiting to Vientiane, Lao PDR from November 20-22, to attend the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), wherein he will address the forum on Regional and International Security Issues during the meeting.

On the sidelines of 11th ADMM-Plus meeting, he is expected to hold bilateral meetings with participating counterparts from Australia, China, Japan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Republic of Korea and USA. 

“These meetings are aimed at further enhancing bilateral defence cooperation with these countries,” an official statement said.

ADMM is the highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism in ASEAN while the ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN member states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and its eight Dialogue Partners (India, US, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand) to strengthen security and defence cooperation. 

India became the dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1992 and the inaugural ADMM-Plus was convened in Hanoi, Vietnam on October 12, 2010. 

Since 2017, ADMM-Plus Ministers have been meeting annually to bolster the cooperation amongst ASEAN and the Plus countries. Lao PDR is the chair and host of 11th ADMM-Plus.