India & Philippines ink strategic partnership with focus on defence
India and the Philippines have elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership, as announced during President Ferdinand Marcos' visit. Prime Minister Modi emphasized their shared commitment to a rules-based Indo-Pacific region. The Philippines lauded India's defense capabilities, particularly the BrahMos missile system. Both nations aim to enhance maritime cooperation and trade, including a potential preferential trade agreement.
AP New Delhi: India and the Philippines on Tuesday agreed to elevate bilateral cooperation to the level of strategic partnership with the visiting President hailing BrahMos missile system that Manila purchased from New Delhi. As the two countries elevated their ties during the visit of Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "India and the Philippines are friends by choice and partners by destiny." The PM said the Philippines is an important partner in India's Act East Policy and 'MAHASAGAR' (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision. "We are committed to peace, security, prosperity and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region. We support freedom of navigation in accordance with international laws," Modi said in a subtle reference to China's role and its territorial claims vis-a-vis Philippines in the South China Sea region. "It is a matter of pleasure that today we have decided to elevate our relations to the status of a strategic partnership. A comprehensive action plan has also been formulated to translate the potential of this partnership into results," he said. Modi said the enhanced defence relations between the two countries are a symbol of deep mutual trust. "Today, when the President is in India, three ships of the Indian Navy are participating in a naval exercise in the Philippines for the first time," he said.The Philippines President hailed India's expanding indigenous defence capabilities, particularly the BrahMos missile project. Addressing a joint press conference, Marcos said the two nations had agreed to strengthen naval and coast guard interoperability through increased port calls, cooperative activities, and maritime capacity building. "We agreed to continue elevating our collaboration in defence and security. We expressed satisfaction over the rapid pace of the Philippines' ongoing defence modernisation and India's expanding indigenous defence capabilities - exemplified by our BrahMos project," he said. Ahead of the visit, General Romeo Brawner, Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, confirmed that Manila is eyeing more defence purchases from India. Philippines is the first foreign buyer of the BrahMos missile system jointly developed by India and Russia.
Marcos expressed full solidarity with India over the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and lauded India's progress under PM Modi's leadership. Modi said, "As maritime nations, maritime cooperation between the two countries is both natural and essential. We have been working together in humanitarian aid, disaster relief, search and rescue." He said under the development partnership, India will increase the number of Quick Impact Projects in the Philippines and will also cooperate in the development of sovereign data cloud infrastructure. The Prime Minister said the trade between the two countries was increasing in a sustained manner and crossed $3 billion. "To further strengthen trade ties, it is our priority to review the India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement at the earliest. We have also decided to work towards a bilateral Preferential Trade Agreement," he said. Modi said Indian companies are active in the sectors of information and digital technology, health, automobiles, infrastructure, and minerals. In the sector of science and technology, joint research is going on in areas from virology to artificial intelligence and additive manufacturing, he added Later, addressing the media, Secretary (East) MEA Periasamy Kumaran said Modi and Marcos adopted the plan of action for the period of 2025 to 2029 to guide cooperation. Kumaran highlighted that 14 MOUs across various sectors were concluded and exchanged between India and the Philippines. He added that these agreements include mutual legal assistance treaty in criminal matters, a treaty on transfer of sentenced persons, terms of reference on negotiations for the India Philippines preferential trade agreement, terms of reference for service, staff talks, army, air force and navy, enhanced cooperation between coast guards.
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