In her first foreign visit as Defence Minister, Ms Nirmala Sitharaman is leaving for Philippines today to attend the Southeast Asian Defence Ministers' meeting. <br/><br/>The two-day ADMM (ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting)-Plus meeting is expected to discuss ways to enhance defence and security co-operation among the member nations to effectively counter various transnational security challenges facing the region.<br/><br/>The ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN and its eight dialogue partners to strengthen security and defence co-operation for peace, stability, and development in the region. <br/><br/>The conference is also likely to discuss enhancing maritime security cooperation among the member countries.<br/>'<br/>During her three-day stay, Ms Sitharaman is also likely to hold bilateral talks with her counterparts from a number of countries.<br/>