Indian foreign minister visiting Phl

India’s Foreign Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is set to visit the Philippines next week to advance trade, tourism, defense, and maritime cooperation with the country, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday.

The DFA said the Indian top diplomat will undertake his second visit to the country from March 25 to 27.

“In addition to advancing trade and tourism between two of Asia’s fastest-growing economies, the foreign minister’s meeting with Secretary for Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo will focus on defense and maritime cooperation, food security, development, healthcare, and financial technology cooperation,” it noted.

India previously offered to fund the Philippines’ military modernization program through a soft loan program.

The Indian government, led by Ambassador Shambu Kumaran, brought a business delegation to the Philippines last month.

The Indian business delegation showcased their respective homegrown military technologies that the Philippines may consider in its future defense procurement tie-ups with New Delhi.

Moreover, India is set to deliver the Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile System procured by the Philippine government from BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd., a defense material production company.

The Philippines and India have been close partners in development and capacity building.

Both have also committed to adhering to rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific Region.

They also highlighted the importance of promoting an open and free Indo-Pacific region, upholding the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS and other international laws, and enhancing cooperation among like-minded countries in the region.

The armed forces of both countries are currently implementing the Philippines-India Defense Engagement Plan for CY 2023-2025.

Further, India is the Philippines’ 15th trading partner and 13th export market, with total bilateral trade surpassing three billion USD in 2023.

The visit is part of Jaishankar’s three-country Southeast Asia tour, aside from Singapore and Malaysia.

His first visit to Manila was in February 2022.