New Delhi: India and Indonesia co-chaired the Expert Working Group (EWG) on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) for the cycle 2021-2024.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is currently on a visit to Indonesia to attend the 10th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Jakarta.

Singh held bilateral meetings with his Indonesian and Vietnamese counterparts on the sidelines of the 10th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting - Plus (ADMM-Plus) on November 16.

"During his meeting with the Defence Minister of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, Raksha Mantri appreciated Indonesia's leadership of ASEAN this year and the excellent organisation of the ADMM-Plus," the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

The two ministers took stock of the bilateral defence relationship and recommitted to further strengthening cooperation, particularly in the maritime domain.

They further reviewed the regular exchanges in the form of training, staff talks and exercises and discussed avenues for the promotion of defence industry collaboration.

Rajnath Singh also held talks with the National Defence Minister of Vietnam, General Phan Van Giang. They reviewed the progress in the "implementation of the 'Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030' signed during the visit of Raksha Mantri to Vietnam in June 2022."

Moreover, both ministers committed to working together for the deepening of the multifaceted bilateral defence ties, spanning a wide spectrum covering training, capacity building, defence industry cooperation, UN peacekeeping, bilateral ship visits and exercises, the statement said.

Singh, during his visit, also met with Secretary General of ASEAN Kao Kim Hourn on the sidelines of the 10th ADMM-Plus.

"While reiterating India's continued support to ASEAN Centrality, Rajnath Singh appreciated ASEAN Member States' enthusiastic participation in India-ASEAN activities, including the 1st ASEAN-India Informal Defence Ministers' Meeting, the maiden ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise, India's Initiatives for Women in UN Peacekeeping Operations and the Marine Plastic Pollution Response," according to the statement.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Singh appreciated the ASEAN Secretariat's excellent support in the implementation of ASEAN-India projects.

They exchanged views on ways and means to further enhance ASEAN-India cooperation in view of advancing the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Earlier in the day, Rajnath Singh attended the 10th ADMM-Plus.

He further congratulated the Indonesian Defence Minister for the successful chairmanship of ADMM-Plus.

"During the course of the meeting, Raksha Mantri welcomed Laos as the new chair of ADMM-Plus and wished them all success in conducting events in 2024," the statement said.