Rajnath Singh says the Indo-Pacific should remain open, inclusive and free from coercion.
India backs an ASEAN-led regional security framework, the minister tells ADMM-Plus.
The remarks come amid global concern over China’s growing military presence in the region.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said, “The Indo-Pacific should remain open, inclusive, and free from any form of coercion,” as he addressed the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Kuala Lumpur. PTI reported that his remarks came amid rising international concern about China’s growing military activity in the region.
Singh also told delegates that India favours strengthening an “ASEAN-led inclusive regional security architecture,” PTI reported. He made the comments at the ADMM-Plus conclave in the Malaysian capital.
The minister’s statements coincide with heightened strategic tensions and disputes over maritime activity in the Indo-Pacific. Singh reiterated India’s position in support of regional stability and freedom of navigation, PTI reported.
ADMM-Plus brings together the ten ASEAN members, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, and eight dialogue partners: India, China, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States.
Organisers describe the forum as a platform for defence cooperation and dialogue among ASEAN nations and their partners on shared security challenges in the Indo-Pacific. The meeting provided the setting for Singh’s remarks and for further discussion on cooperation among member states.
(With inputs from PTI)
