Adding a new dimension to their ties, India and the Philippines today decided to further work towards strengthening engagement in counter-terrorism and defence and maritime security, covering defence capabilities as well as military training and capacity building.

The two countries, which are involved in confrontation with China over territorial and maritime issues, also agreed to coordinate closely at multilateral fora and reaffirmed their strong commitment to a multifaceted partnership that would facilitate the developmental aspirations and shared priorities of the two democracies in the Indo-Pacific region.

The agreements between the two countries came during External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s three-day visit to the Philippines, which was his first to the Southeast Asian nation in his capacity as a minister.

His visit came days after India signed a mega $375 million contract with the Philippines for the BrahMos shore-based anti-ship missile system.

Jaishankar yesterday held a bilateral meeting with his counterpart Teodoro L. Locsin Jr., Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines. The two ministers reviewed developments in bilateral relations since the meeting of the Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation that they co-chaired in virtual format in November 2020.

They also discussed the future trajectory of the wide-ranging engagement between the two countries. The two ministers also had an in-depth exchange of views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

They welcomed recent trends in bilateral ties that have contributed to deepening of mutually beneficial cooperation and the expansion to newer areas based on shared interests in line with the vision of the leadership of both countries. They agreed to further work towards strengthening engagement in counter-terrorism and defence and maritime security, covering defence capabilities as well as military training and capacity building.

In light of the complementarities between two countries as fast growing market economies, and the shared interest in diversifying supply chains, they agreed to make efforts to further expand economic cooperation as well as trade and investment links in a range of areas such as agriculture, infrastructure, health and pharmaceuticals, tourism, ICT, and science & technology.

The ministers also noted with satisfaction recent initiatives to step up cooperation in emerging areas such as fintech, blue economy, renewable energy, space, cyber security and traditional medicine.

Jaishankar also sought the attention of the Philippine government to facilitate early return of Indian medical students to the Philippines.