INDIAN foreign minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is flying to Southeast Asia next week, including the Philippines, to further boost bilateral ties and foster regional cooperation in the region.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs announced that aside from the Philippines, Jaishankar will also visit Singapore and Malaysia.
Jaishankar’s Southeast Asia swing is slated March 23-27.
“The visit will focus on enhancing bilateral relations with the three countries, and would provide an opportunity for engagement on regional issues of mutual concern,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
During his visit, he will meet his Philippine counterpart, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, on March 26.
This is the third time for Jaishankar to visit Manila in the past three years; the last two were during the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. It also coincides with the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two Asian democracies.
Manila and New Delhi recently elevated their bilateral relations into a comprehensive strategic partnership when both ministers met in India in June 2023.
Aside from exchange of high-level visits, both countries have committed to improve a full range of cooperation areas – defense, maritime, law enforcement, trade and investment, development cooperation, health and pharmaceuticals, tourism and civil aviation, agriculture, financial technology, science and technology, space cooperation, consular matters, cultural exchanges, and education.
In 2022, the Philippines bought India’s Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles for P18.9 billion, to ramp up the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ capability to deter foreign threat.
Image credits: courtesy: India’s EAM