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India has become the fifth ‘strategic partner’ of the Philippines after Japan, Vietnam, Australia, and South Korea
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines and India officially established a “strategic partnership” on Tuesday, August 5, the highlight of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s five-day state visit to the South Asian nation and the 75th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties.
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a press statement that the declaration of a strategic partnership “further deepens cooperation in areas such as defense, security, trade, science and technology, and tourism.”
“Today, India becomes only the fifth strategic partner for the Philippines. This new apex attests as much to the remarkably rapid growth, broadening, and deepening of our 75 year-old bilateral relationship,” Marcos said in a joint press statement with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after their bilateral meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi.
The Philippines’ other strategic partners are Japan, Vietnam, Australia, and South Korea.
Here are the agreements inked on the second day of Marcos’ state visit to India:
- Exchange of Declaration on the Establishment of Strategic Partnership between the Republic of the Philippines and the Republic of India
- Plan of Action for the Implementation of the Strategic Partnership between the Republic of the Philippines and the Republic of India (2025-2029)
- Terms of Reference between the Philippine Air Force and the Indian Air Force on Air Staff Talks
- Terms of Reference between the Philippine Army and the Indian Army on Army-to-Army Staff Talks
- Terms of Reference between the Philippine Navy and the Indian Navy on Navy-to-Navy Staff Talks
- Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the Republic of India
- Treaty on Transfer of Sentenced Persons between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the Republic of India
- Programme of Cooperation in the field of Science and Technology for the period of 2025-2028 between the Department of Science and Technology of the Republic of the Philippines and the Department of Science and Technology of the Republic of India
- Implementation Program between the Department of Tourism of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Ministry of Tourism of the Government of the Republic of India on Tourism Cooperation (2025-2028)
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the Republic of India on Cooperation in the Field of Digital Technologies
- Statement of Intent between the Philippine Space Agency, Philippines, and the Indian Space Research Organisation, the Republic of India, on Cooperation on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
- Terms of Reference for Enhanced Maritime Cooperation between the Philippine Coast Guard and the Indian Coast Guard
- Cultural Exchange Programme between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the Republic of India
‘Free and inclusive Indo-Pacific region’
In his statement after witnessing the signing and exchange of agreements between Philippine and Indian officials, Marcos cited discussions with India to “continue leveling up our collaboration and defense and security,” and an agreement “to establish mechanisms for service-to-service talks, for information sharing, and training exchanges amongst our militaries.”
“We expressed satisfaction over the rapid pace of the Philippines’ ongoing defense modernization and expanding capabilities and footprints of India’s indigenous defense industry as a partner in this undertaking exemplified by our BrahMos project. We concurred that we should be accompanied with intensified dialogue and exchanges between our defense establishments,” he said.
“We will foster Naval and Coast Guard interoperability via port calls in cooperative activities and capacity building in the maritime domain,” Marcos added.
He said he and Modi also “committed to bring our collaboration to bear on shared concerns a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, security and rule of law in the maritime commons, supply chain resilience, food security, countering terrorism and other traditional and non-traditional threats.”
“Relative to the maritime sphere, I thank Prime Minister Modi once again for India’s support for the peaceful settlement of disputes and adherence to international law, especially the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and the 2016 award in the South China Sea arbitration,” Marcos said.
– Rappler.com
