India, Asia-Pacific partners to focus on regional security (ADMM-Plus)

• Eighteen countries have come together under the banner of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus). The participants are all 10 members of the ASEAN and their key dialogue partners — Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia, and the United States.
• Meeting in Hanoi, for the first time ever under this new banner, the Ministers from 18 countries pledged to "strengthen regional defence and security cooperation" in areas of mutual interest. Towards this objective, these Asia-Pacific partners would focus on "concrete and practical" measures.
• The Ministers also agreed that ASEAN would have "centrality" in this new endeavour of addressing "common security challenges."
• New Delhi was also proactive in promoting a cooperative approach among the Asia-Pacific States towards the security of sea-lanes. India was already a party to the regional initiatives for safe navigation along the Malacca Strait and other maritime zones along East Asia.