India’s Rule of Law and Freedom of Navigation in Indo-Pacific Aims at Collective Security, Not Confrontation: Rajnath Singh at ADMM-Plus 2025
Date: 01-11-2025 [BS Khabar 24 News]
India reaffirmed its commitment to peace, inclusivity, and freedom of navigation in the India Indo-Pacific Strategy 2025 region during the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on November 1, 2025. Speaking at the forum, Defence Minister (Raksha Mantri) Rajnath Singh underscored that India’s emphasis on the rule of law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is not directed against any particular country, but is aimed at safeguarding the collective interests of all regional stakeholders.
India’s Vision for an Open and Inclusive India Indo-Pacific Strategy 2025
Addressing the theme “Reflection on 15 years of ADMM-Plus and Charting a Way Forward,” Rajnath Singh highlighted that India’s engagement with ASEAN is guided by principles, not transactions. He said,
“Our strategic engagement with ASEAN rests on a shared belief that the Indo-Pacific should remain open, inclusive, and free from coercion.”
The Defence Minister noted that Malaysia’s focus on ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’ under its ADMM-Plus chairmanship is both timely and essential. He explained that inclusivity means giving every nation, regardless of size or capacity, a role in shaping the regional order and benefiting from it.
Sustainability, on the other hand, involves building resilient and adaptable security structures that can respond to evolving threats and foster long-term cooperation rather than short-term alignments.
Security, Growth, and Sustainability: The Three Pillars of India’s Approach
Rajnath Singh emphasized that India’s strategic outlook in the Indo-Pacific links defence cooperation with economic development, technology sharing, and human resource advancement. India Indo-Pacific Strategy 2025,He said that the interconnection between security, growth, and sustainability forms the core of India’s partnership with ASEAN.
He also highlighted that the ADMM-Plus framework—which brings together ASEAN members and key dialogue partners—has become a crucial pillar of India’s Act East Policy and its broader Indo-Pacific vision.
India’s Constructive Role in Regional Defence Cooperation
India Indo-Pacific Strategy 2025, Describing India as a committed and constructive participant in ADMM-Plus since its inception, the Defence Minister detailed India’s extensive involvement in the forum’s Expert Working Groups (EWGs). India has co-chaired multiple groups, including:
* Humanitarian Mine Action (with Vietnam, 2014–2017)
* Military Medicine (with Myanmar, 2017–2020)
* Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) (with Indonesia, 2020–2024)
* Counter-Terrorism (with Malaysia, 2024–2027)
Through these engagements, India has hosted and participated in joint field exercises, contributing to shared operational standards and enhanced coordination across the region.
Rajnath Singh highlighted that these initiatives have aligned India’s defence efforts with ASEAN’s strategic vision, reinforcing cooperation instead of competition.
ADMM-Plus: A Cornerstone of Regional Stability
Marking 15 years of ADMM-Plus, Rajnath Singh said the forum stands as a proven mechanism for regional peace, dialogue, and mutual trust-building. As the platform moves into its 16th year, he reaffirmed India’s readiness to deepen cooperation in all mutually beneficial areas.
He stated that the lessons from the past decade and a half are clear:
“Inclusive cooperation works, regional ownership builds legitimacy, and collective security strengthens individual sovereignty.”
These guiding principles, he said, will continue to shape India’s engagement with both ASEAN and ADMM-Plus in the years to come.
The Spirit of MAHASAGAR: A Holistic Vision for the Region
Concluding his address, Rajnath Singh reiterated India’s commitment to working with regional partners under the spirit of MAHASAGAR — ‘Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth across Regions.’
He assured that India is ready to continue contributing constructively through dialogue, partnership, and practical cooperation to ensure that the Indo-Pacific remains a region of peace, stability, and prosperity.
India Indo-Pacific Strategy 2025
The Minister also recalled that India’s engagement with ASEAN predates ADMM-Plus, but the platform has since strengthened defence cooperation and added a structured dimension to India’s diplomatic and economic outreach.
The elevation of the ASEAN-India relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022, he added, reflects the maturity of their ties and the growing alignment of their regional priorities.
Conclusion
Rajnath Singh’s address at ADMM-Plus 2025 reaffirmed that India’s Indo-Pacific vision is anchored in international law, inclusivity, and peaceful cooperation. India’s emphasis on the rule of law, freedom of navigation, and regional stability serves not as a countermeasure to any single nation, but as a commitment to ensuring that the(India Indo-Pacific Strategy 2025)Indo-Pacific remains a shared space of mutual trust, growth, and opportunity.