16 October 2013 - Indian Minister for External Affairs Salman Khurshid will undertake an official visit to Manila on 21-22 October 2013 for the 2nd Meeting of the Philippines-India Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC).
Minister Khurshid will pay a courtesy call on President Benigno S. Aquino III and on Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario, who is the Chairperson of the Philippine delegation to the JCBC.
During the JCBC, Secretary Del Rosario and Minister Khurshid are expected to discuss areas of bilateral cooperation, particularly in security, defense and trade. They will also take stock of the progress of the Joint Working Groups on Trade and Investment, Tourism, Renewable Energy, Agriculture and Health. They are likewise expected to exchange views and share experiences on international and regional issues such as maritime security cooperation.
On October 22, Minister Khurshid will also deliver the inaugural lecture of the Rizal-Nehru Memorial Lectures at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI). In the lecture entitled, “The Shaping of Indian Foreign Policy,” the Minister will talk on the foreign policy of India, including the Look East Policy and Philippine-Indian relations. After the lecture, Minister Khurshid will turn-over to FSI Director Ma. Angelina Sta. Catalina a donation of 200 books from the Government of India.
This is the first official visit to the Philippines of Minister Khurshid, and his first bilateral meeting with Secretary Del Rosario since he assumed his post as External Affairs Minister.
The first JCBC meeting was hosted by India in New Delhi on 15 March 2011. END