Closer Indo-Pacific Ties Forged with Indian Foreign Minister’s Visit to Manila

Philippines-India relations continue their upward trajectory as Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. and Indian Minister of External Affairs Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting this morning at the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Minister Jaishankar’s visit is his first to the Philippines, and Manila is his only stop in Southeast Asia after attending the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Australia.

In their meeting, the two officials took stock of bilateral relations and discussed their current and future direction.  The talks covered cooperation in health, trade and investments, science and technology, defense and security, and tourism.  They also exchanged views on current regional and global issues.

The two foreign ministers also discussed the impact of COVID-19 in the region and how the Philippines and India could work together to promote economic recovery during the pandemic.

Minister Jaishankar’s visit is an affirmation of the robust ties between the Philippines and India, as both countries prepare for closer interaction in the post-COVID world.

There are an estimated 1,300 Filipinos working and residing in India, while there are more than 120,000 Indian nationals who have made the Philippines their home.