‘Unwavering commitment’: Rajnath Singh backs ASEAN centrality, calls for stronger defence ties

The 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus took place in Cebu, Philippines. India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reaffirmed India’s commitment to ASEAN centrality. He described it as central to India’s Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific vision. He also called for stronger defence cooperation and mutual trust among participating countries.

Philippine defence secretary Gilberto C Teodoro Jr said two documents had been signed the previous day. One marked the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. The other marked 20 years of the ADMM. Teodoro identified three priorities: cooperation based on respect and international law, continued progress under ADMM-Plus, and responses to global disruptions.

The meeting focused on building a resilient, secure, and prosperous region. Food and energy security, supply-chain problems, conflicts, migrant workers, and seafarers were also discussed. Singh sought constructive deliberations and concrete results from the meeting.

ASEAN centrality means Southeast Asian nations place ASEAN at the centre of regional dialogue, cooperation, and security arrangements. ASEAN provides the main platforms where member states and outside powers meet. This matters because the region includes countries with different interests and relationships with major powers. A shared ASEAN-led process can make discussions more inclusive and balanced.

In practice, centrality is reflected through forums such as the ADMM-Plus. ASEAN members host, organise, and shape discussions with external partners on defence and regional stability. The approach relies on consultation rather than one country imposing its preferred system. It also supports principles such as mutual respect, ASEAN unity, and international law.

For India, ASEAN centrality is a cornerstone of its Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific vision. Singh’s statement showed political support for ASEAN-led cooperation. Stronger centrality can help keep regional dialogue open during conflicts, disruptions, and strategic competition.

ADMM-Plus is an 18-country defence cooperation forum. It includes the 10 ASEAN member states and eight external partners: Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia, and the United States. The article identifies the meeting as the 13th ADMM-Plus but does not provide the participant list. The membership details come from established information about the forum.

Its key mechanism is regular dialogue between ASEAN defence ministers and their eight partner countries. This creates a structured channel for discussing security concerns, building practical cooperation, and developing trust. The format gives ASEAN a central organising role while bringing major regional and global powers into the same process.

The Cebu meeting showed how broad this cooperation has become. Participants addressed regional resilience, global disruptions, food and energy security, and protection for vulnerable workers. Its size gives the forum reach, but effective progress still depends on mutual respect, international law, and agreed outcomes.

ASEAN centrality matters to India because Southeast Asia links India’s eastern outreach with its wider Indo-Pacific approach. Supporting ASEAN-led diplomacy signals that India wants regional cooperation to include Southeast Asian countries, not simply be directed by the largest powers. It also supports a more resilient, secure, and prosperous regional order.

The practical mechanism is engagement through ASEAN-led institutions such as the ADMM-Plus. India participates in discussions with ASEAN members and other defence partners. These forums allow countries to address emerging disruptions, improve defence cooperation, and build mutual trust. They also create space for common principles, including respect for international law.

Singh called ASEAN centrality a cornerstone of both India’s Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific vision. His reaffirmation in Cebu showed continuity in India’s approach. If sustained, this support can strengthen India’s regional partnerships and help keep ASEAN at the centre of conversations about security, stability, and shared challenges.

The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia is a regional agreement built around peaceful relations, respect, and cooperation. It was signed in 1976. The ADMM is ASEAN’s regular meeting of defence ministers, established in 2006 to support defence and security dialogue. These dates explain the 50th and 20th anniversaries mentioned at the Cebu meeting.

The anniversaries were marked through two joint documents. One commemorated 50 years of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. The other was the Manila Joint Declaration marking 20 years of the ADMM. Such declarations publicly restate the principles that guide cooperation and connect past achievements with future work.

According to Teodoro, the documents reaffirmed participating countries’ commitment to shared principles, ASEAN unity, and ASEAN centrality. They also gave the meeting political context. The declarations showed that the forum was not only discussing current security problems, but also renewing the framework for cooperation among its members and partners.

Stronger defence cooperation helps countries communicate before crises worsen and coordinate when disruptions affect several borders. Mutual trust makes information sharing, practical coordination, and joint decisions easier. This matters because conflicts and supply-chain problems can quickly affect fuel, food, transport, workers, and wider economic stability.

The Cebu meeting connected security with everyday regional needs. Teodoro highlighted food and energy security amid supply-chain challenges and overseas conflicts. He also called for cooperation to protect migrant workers and seafarers, especially people from smaller countries caught in conflict zones. The mechanism is cooperation guided by mutual respect and international law.

This approach cannot remove conflicts or guarantee uninterrupted supplies. It can, however, improve preparedness and make collective responses more reliable. Teodoro urged progress under the ADMM-Plus framework, while Singh sought concrete outcomes. Continued dialogue could help participating countries address emerging disruptions together rather than acting in isolation.

ASEAN’s model is based on dialogue, consensus, mutual respect, and international law. Countries discuss problems, seek acceptable common positions, and avoid treating regional security as a contest controlled by one power. This matters because ASEAN members have different political systems, interests, and relationships with outside countries.

The mechanism is ASEAN-led forums, including the ADMM and ADMM-Plus. Ministers meet regularly, exchange views, and build practical cooperation. Consensus encourages governments to remain engaged even when they disagree. International law and mutual respect provide standards for conduct, while ASEAN unity and centrality keep the process regionally anchored.

This system does not create a single government or automatically settle every dispute. Its value lies in maintaining communication and preventing cooperation from collapsing during tension. At Cebu, Teodoro called for cooperation guided by respect and international law. Singh’s support for ASEAN centrality reinforced the same approach to regional security.