Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh at the 14th meeting of ADMM – Plus EWG on Counter-Terrorism, in New Delhi on March 19, 2025.
At the 14th meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) Experts’ Working Group on Counter-Terrorism (EWG on CT), held in New Delhi, co-chairs India and Malaysia announced plans for a table-top exercise in Malaysia in 2026 and a field training exercise in India in 2027. These exercises form part of the 2024–2027 work plan for the group.
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Meanwhile, two days earlier, the European Union (EU) hosted a technical workshop in New Delhi on preventing and countering violent extremism, held on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue. Organised in cooperation with the Embassy of the Netherlands, the workshop was inaugurated by EU Ambassador to India Hervé Delphin.
The EWG meeting, held on March 19 and 20, brought together delegations from the ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN member states – Lao PDR, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam – and ADMM-Plus dialogue partners, including China, the United States, Russia, Australia, Japan, and South Korea.
“During the two-day meeting, discussions were held to focus on evolving a robust and comprehensive strategy to tackle the evolving threat of terrorism and extremism. The meeting was aimed to share the on-ground experience of the Defence Forces of ASEAN countries and its dialogue partners. The meeting laid a foundation for the activities, exercises, meetings and workshops planned for the current cycle,” a Defence Ministry statement said.
Earlier, Myanmar and Russia, co-chairs of the EWG on CT during the previous cycle for 2021-2024, handed over the co-chairmanship to India and Malaysia for the present cycle 2024-2027.
The EU’s technical workshop brought together counterterrorism experts and senior representatives from EU and Indian security agencies and policy institutions. They exchanged knowledge on best practices on prevention, de-radicalisation, and rehabilitation of violent extremists. The EU Delegation in India stated that discussions “centred on whole-of-government approaches, risk evaluation processes, exit programmes, and reintegration strategies for violent extremists. Participants underscored the importance of continued collaboration on both soft and hard security measures in counterterrorism.”
The EU Delegation included security practitioners from member states (Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, and the Netherlands), and European institutions such as the Strong Cities Network (SCN), working in the spirit of Team Europe.
“By sharing expertise and fostering dialogue, we are strengthening our collective ability to prevent and counter violent extremism while upholding democratic values and human rights,” said Maciej Stadejek, Director for Security and Defence Policy in the European External Action Service.
This workshop followed the recent visit of the EU College of Commissioners to India, during which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored their commitment to deeper collaboration on counterterrorism. Their Leaders’ Statement highlighted “the need for enhanced international cooperation to combat terrorism and terrorism financing in a comprehensive and sustained manner.”
India and the EU held their first joint workshop on online terrorist content in 2022, building on the counterterrorism dialogue initiated in November 2020.
Published – March 22, 2025 03:38 am IST
