Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to embark on a three-day visit to Laos from November 20 to 22 to participate in the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), according to Defence Ministry officials. The ADMM-Plus serves as a key platform for dialogue and cooperation between the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its eight dialogue partners: India, China, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia, and the United States.
Laos, holding the chairmanship of ADMM-Plus, will host the meeting, which aims to address evolving regional security challenges and enhance defence collaboration.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to outline India’s stance on key regional security challenges during the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), sources said. A possible meeting between Singh and his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun, is also being speculated. Their participation on the same platform follows the recent disengagement at Depsang and Demchok and the resumption of patrolling in these areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The likely meeting will mark the first meeting between the Defence Ministers since April last year, when China’s Then-Defence Minister, Li Shangfu, visited Delhi for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. The potential interaction is being viewed as a critical confidence-building measure in the wake of the recent agreement on troop disengagement.
Earlier this month, India and China conducted a joint patrol at friction points in Demchok and Depsang, reinforcing a breakthrough achieved on October 21. Both nations agreed to a weekly coordinated patrol to manage tensions that have persisted since the 2020 Galwan Valley clash. The accord marked a significant step toward resolving the military standoff that had overshadowed bilateral relations for over four years.
As India and China navigate their complex and often fraught relationship, characterized by a mix of border disputes and diplomatic engagement, a meeting between Singh and Dong Jun could play a pivotal role in fostering dialogue and strengthening mutual trust.
India joined ASEAN as a dialogue partner in 1992, marking the beginning of a significant partnership with the regional bloc. The inaugural ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) was held in Hanoi in October 2010, establishing a defence and security collaboration platform. Since 2017, the ADMM-Plus has convened annually, underscoring its commitment to strengthening regional security cooperation and fostering dialogue among member states and dialogue partners.
Ravi Shankar
