Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is in Laos for a two-day official visit, offered prayers on November 22 at the Wat Si Saket, a Buddhist temple in Vientiane. As per a statement, Rajnath visited and sought blessings from Mahaveth Chittakaro, Abbot of Sisaket Temple.
On November 21, Rajnath Singh, while addressing the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus forum at Vientiane in Laos, said the world should embrace Buddhist doctrines to find solutions to the ongoing conflicts and challenges to the international order.
Feeling blessed after visiting Wat Sisakat Temple in Vientiane.
India’s shared Buddhist heritage with Lao PDR is a significant link in our modern day relations. pic.twitter.com/8tNOm2TQ7I— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) November 22, 2024
The Defence Minister asserted that it is “providential” that the 11th ADMM-Plus is being held in Lao PDR, which has internalised the Buddhist principles of non-violence and peace. He was of the view that it is time for all to embrace the Buddhist doctrines of peaceful co-existence more closely, as the world is increasingly getting polarised into blocks and camps, leading to increasing strain on the established world order. “India has always advocated and practiced dialogue for resolving complex international issues. This commitment to open communication and peaceful negotiation is evident in India’s approach to a wide range of international challenges, from border disputes to trade agreements,” Rajnath Singh said.
“An open dialogue promotes trust, understanding, and cooperation, laying the foundation for sustainable partnerships. The power of dialogue has always proven effective, yielding tangible results that contribute to stability and harmony on the global stage. India believes that genuine, long-term solutions to global problems can only be achieved when nations engage constructively, respecting each other’s perspectives and working toward shared goals in the spirit of cooperation,” said the Defence Minister.
Meanwhile, the Defence Minister on November 22 met with his Japanese counterpart, Gen Nakatani, and Secretary of National Defence (Defence Minister) of the Philippines, Gilberto Teodoro, on the final day of his three-day visit to Vientiane.
The two sides reiterated the importance of defence industry and technology cooperation between the two countries. Recalling the milestone event of the signing of the Memorandum of Implementation of UNICORN mast in Japan last week, both sides agreed to enhanced cooperation in co-production and co-development in the defence manufacturing sector.
To further improve interoperability between the Indian and Japanese forces, the Reciprocal Provision of Supply and Services Agreement between the two countries and the participation of militaries in various bilateral and multilateral exercises were discussed by both Ministers. They also agreed to explore new areas of cooperation in the air domain.
Raksha Mantri welcomed the Philippines as country coordinator for India in the ASEAN and ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) – Plus forum for the next cycle. Both sides agreed to expand and deepen cooperation in exchange of subject matter experts, defence industry, counter-terrorism, space and maritime domains.
Rajnath Singh attended the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus (ADMM Plus) on November 21 and emphasised that India stands for rule-based international order for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. He also participated in an Indian Community event where he highlighted the progress India has made in various spheres in recent years.
ADMM is the highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism in ASEAN. ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN member states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and its eight Dialogue Partners (India, US, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand) to strengthen security and defence cooperation.
India became the dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1992 and the inaugural ADMM-Plus was convened in Hanoi, Vietnam on October 12, 2010. Since 2017, ADMM-Plus Ministers have been meeting annually to bolster the cooperation between ASEAN and the Plus countries. Lao PDR is the chair and host of the 11th ADMM-Plus.
(With inputs from ANI)
