Rajnath Singh meets US Defence Secretary Hegseth in Cebu, agrees to deepen defence cooperation

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth in Cebu in the Philippines. The bilateral meeting took place during the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus). Amid growing challenges to Southeast Asian security and in the Indo-Pacific, the two sides agreed to speed up defence cooperation, co-production of military technology and exchange of information.

After the meeting, Singh said on social media that the two countries reviewed the progress made so far under the 10-year-old India-US Major Defence Partnership Framework. According to him, the framework has brought a major change in military cooperation, coordination between the two armed forces, transfer of cutting-edge technology and joint production of defence equipment. The meeting also underlined that the India-US partnership is a strong foundation for a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific.

The talks discussed giving further momentum to co-production. It was said that this would strengthen India's Make in India initiative. Hegseth also expressed satisfaction after the meeting and said India is a very important and trusted partner in the Indo-Pacific region.

India and the US coming together is considered necessary to curb China's growing aggressiveness in the Indo-Pacific and to keep maritime trade routes secure. The meeting dealt not only with bilateral ties but also held in-depth discussions on maritime security in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. The two leaders decided to strengthen the regular military exercises and intelligence sharing between their armed forces.

The council is being held in Cebu on October 28 and 29. Singh is leading the Indian delegation and will present India's position on regional security issues. ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is the main grouping of Southeast Asian countries. ADMM-Plus is the highest security forum bringing together ASEAN member states and their eight dialogue partners: India, the US, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The Philippines chairs the 2026 council, and this year's main agenda is regional peace, maritime security and the fight against terrorism.

India became an ASEAN dialogue partner in 1992 and has cooperated with these countries on defence through ADMM-Plus since 2010. The forum is considered important under India's Act East Policy. Under it, India is co-chair of the Expert Working Group on Counter-Terrorism with Malaysia from 2024 to 2027.

Representatives of China and Russia are also present at the Cebu council. Against this backdrop, the message of cooperation from India and the US is seen as important for maintaining the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific. Singh's visit is expected to renew India's military ties not only with the US but also with countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore and Japan.