NEW DELHI, India – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed his appreciation for the generosity of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who exempted the Philippines from one of the most important exports of India.

Prime Minister Modi has exempted the Philippines from India’s export of non-basmati rice.

“I wish also to take this opportunity to thank you once again for previously approving our request for exemption from India's export ban on non-basmati rice. This is a subject we touched on. It has been lifted and we look forward to more exchanges on this vital commodity for the Filipino people,” he said during their bilateral meeting on Tuesday.

Marcos emphasized the “increasing tempo” that India and the Philippines have enjoyed in recent years, particularly on trade, investments, health and other fields of endeavor.

He also underscored the significance of elevating Philippine-India relations by elevating it to a full-fledged strategic partnership.

“The Philippines and India continue to share values, interests and concerns that have impacted our respective national security, particularly given the geopolitical developments on both the regional and international levels. Given these shared concerns, it is but natural for our two countries to intensify our partnership and to find ways to counter such security concerns,” he said.

“Our meeting today marks a high point of, of the 75th anniversary of our diplomatic ties, which will herald the future and a bright future of our bilateral journey,” he added.

On Tuesday, the Philippines and India signed 13 agreements further strengthening the cooperation between the two countries in areas of technology, health, justice, defense, and maritime issues.