Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane will undertake a visit to Manila to co-chair the fifth meeting of India-Philippines Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) on Wednesday.

The meeting will be co-chaired by Senior Under Secretary from the Ministry of National Defence of Philippines, Irineo Cruz Espino.

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During the visit, the Defence Secretary will discuss ways to further consolidate defence cooperation between the two countries. He will also meet with other dignitaries of the government of the Philippines.

This visit assumes significance as India and Philippines celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations and 10 years of India’s Act East Policy.

Both the countries have a vigorous and multifaceted relationship which have expanded into several strategic areas, including defence and security. They are committed to support each other towards achieving the goal of self-reliance in defence production.

The JDCC construct has been established under the ambit of the Memorandum of Understanding on defence cooperation signed between the two countries in 2006. The fourth edition of the JDCC meeting was held in March 2023 in New Delhi at the Joint Secretary-level. The fifth edition marks the elevation of the co-chair to Secretary-level.