Rajnath Singh Proposes Think-Tank Forum and Women in UN Peacekeeping Initiative to Deepen Defence Ties
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh met with his counterparts at the second India-ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, where ASEAN ministers acknowledged India’s pivotal role in ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Ministers from the ASEAN community, with the Malaysian Defence Minister describing India as a “superpower,” sought to deepen defence cooperation. The Philippines Defence Minister specifically praised India’s respect for international law and adherence to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), setting an example for the region. ASEAN members also expressed strong interest in collaborating with India’s self-reliant defence industry and technology ecosystem to achieve “Regional self-reliance” in production.
To advance the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Shri Rajnath Singh proposed two new initiatives, ASEAN-India Initiative on Women in UN Peacekeeping Operations: Aimed at boosting women’s participation in global peacekeeping missions and ASEAN-India Defence Think-Tank Interaction: To establish a dedicated forum for dialogue, policy research, and capacity-building between defence experts of both regions.
The ASEAN Defence Ministers welcomed these proposals, anticipating deeper engagement to strengthen the strategic partnership.