Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday met US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in Cebu, Philippines, to review progress under the 10-year India-US Defence Framework and explore ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), being held on October 28–29.
“Had an excellent meeting with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the side-lines of the 13th ADMM-Plus. We reviewed the progress of our 10-year India-US Defence Framework, driving strategic convergence across military technology, information sharing, and co-production,” Singh said in a post on X.
He described the partnership as a cornerstone for a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific.
Hegseth said the two leaders marked the first anniversary of the framework and discussed further cooperation.
“Great meeting with Indian Minister of Defence Singh. We celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Framework for our Major Defense Partnership and explored ways to strengthen cooperation,” he said in a post on X.
Signed in 2025, the framework provides a unified vision and policy direction for deepening defence cooperation over ten years, according to the Ministry of Defence.
Singh, who is leading the Indian delegation, arrived in Cebu on Tuesday night. He received a ceremonial welcome at the airport, where Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Harsh Kumar Jain and Defence Attaché Captain ChandraKant Kothari were among those present.
The Defence Minister is scheduled to address the ADMM-Plus forum on regional and international security issues on Thursday. He is also holding bilateral meetings with counterparts from participating countries to review defence ties and explore stronger strategic partnerships.
ADMM-Plus brings together ASEAN member states and eight dialogue partners—India, the United States, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand—to strengthen security and defence cooperation. The Philippines chairs the forum in 2026.
India, an ASEAN dialogue partner since 1992, is co-chairing the ADMM-Plus Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism with Malaysia for the 2024–2027 cycle.
(With agency inputs)
