Kuala Lumpur [Malaysia], October 31 (ANI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with Singapore Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing in Kuala Lumpur on Friday as part of his engagements aimed at strengthening India's defence ties with key partners.

The Defence Minister is in Malaysia to take part in the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting - Plus (ADMM-Plus).

Earlier in the day, Rajnath Singh met US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of ADMM-Plus in Kuala Lumpur.

The meeting was constructive and the delegation-level talks were followed by a one-to-one meeting, a Defence Ministry release stated.

The two leaders appreciated the continuing momentum in the bilateral defence cooperation and reaffirmed their commitment to further build upon the mutually beneficial partnership across all its pillars. They reviewed the ongoing defence issues and the challenges that persist and deliberated upon the ongoing defence industry and technology collaborations.

The Secretary of War reiterated that India is a priority country for the US in defence cooperation, and they were committed to working closely with India to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.

After the meeting, both leaders signed the 'Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership' which will usher a new era in an already strong defence partnership. The 2025 framework marks a new chapter to further transform the partnership over the next 10 years. It is intended to provide a unified vision and policy direction to deepen defence cooperation.

In a post on X, Rajnath Singh exuded confidence that the framework will provide policy direction to the entire spectrum of the India-US defence relationship.

'It is a signal of our growing strategic convergence and will herald a new decade of partnership. Defence will remain as the major pillar of our bilateral relations. Our partnership is critical for ensuring a free, open and rules-bound Indo-Pacific region,' he said.

The ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) is scheduled to be held on November 1. (ANI)