Cebu, Oct 29: Reaffirming New Delhi’s readiness to share its operational experience with regional partners to strengthen collective security, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said ‘Operation Sindoor’ demonstrated India’s proactive, battle-tested approach to counter-terrorism.
Addressing the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, Philippines, Singh said India’s counter-terrorism expertise had been shaped by decades of confronting complex cross-border security challenges.
“Op Sindoor decisively demonstrated India’s proactive, battle-tested doctrine,” he said, adding that the operation dismantled terrorist infrastructure and established a firm red line against state-sponsored terrorism.
Singh said India is prepared to share its experience with ADMM-Plus partners through joint exercises, capacity-building programmes and intelligence sharing, stressing that terrorism knows no borders.
He said that India and Malaysia were co-chairing the ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Counter-Terrorism for the 2024–2027 cycle.
Stressing India’s commitment to ASEAN centrality and a secure, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific, Singh said regional peace and stability required mutual trust, cooperation and collective responsibility.
He also highlighted maritime security as a key pillar of India’s engagement with ASEAN, noting that 2026 had been designated the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation and that the second ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise had been conducted.
Singh said the Indian Navy had maintained an uninterrupted operational presence in volatile maritime corridors, including the Gulf of Aden, since 2008, escorting thousands of merchant vessels and thwarting dozens of hijackings.
He said India’s commitment to freedom of navigation and overflight, in accordance with international law, was aimed at protecting the shared interests of regional stakeholders and ensuring the safety of global trade routes.
The Defence Minister also proposed a dedicated defence ‘Youth Bridge’ to strengthen India-ASEAN people-to-people connections, promote digital innovation and support capacity-building initiatives. He said greater youth engagement would help build a peaceful, resilient and prosperous Indo-Pacific. (KNO)
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