ASEAN summit: Rajnath Singh meets Malaysian and Lao PDR counterparts

New Delhi, Nov 20 (IANS): In addition to his meeting with Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday met his Malaysian counterpart Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Bin Nordin.

He also met with the Defence Minister of Lao PDR General Chansamone Chanyalath in Vientiane, on the sidelines of the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Plus.

Rajnath Singh also attended an Indian Community event where he highlighted the progress India has made in various spheres in recent years. He dwelt upon the commitment of the government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to make India ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.

“During the meeting with the Malaysian Defence Minister, both sides agreed to support each other’s endeavours to arrive at meaningful outcomes to promote security and stability in the region,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

Both leaders looked forward to the conduct of the Malaysia-India Defence Committee Meeting in the first quarter of 2025, wherein both sides will have detailed discussions on ways to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation.

India and Malaysia currently hold the co-chairmanship of the ADMM Plus Expert Working Group on Counter-Terrorism.

In his meeting with the Defence Minister of Lao PDR, the Defence Minister complimented Lao PDR for its efficient and inclusive leadership as the Chair of ASEAN this year.

He conveyed India’s strong support for ASEAN’s unity and centrality for promoting peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and assured General Chansamone Chanyalath that India will continue to strengthen its ties with Lao PDR and ASEAN in all spheres.

Both sides appreciated the signing of the revised MoU, which was exchanged during the visit of the Prime Minister to Laos recently. They concurred that it would go a long way in building stronger bonds and enhancing exchange in capacity and building spheres.

The 11th ADMM-Plus will be held in Vientiane on November 21. Rajnath Singh will address the forum on regional and international security issues.

ADMM-Plus is an annual meeting of the Defence Ministers of the ASEAN member states and its eight dialogue partners (India, USA, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand) to strengthen security and defence cooperation.