SFA Locsin Spurs Momentum in Bilateral Ties with India Visit
Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. receives a warm welcome from Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (right) upon his arrival at the Hyderabad House (left photo), followed by a bilateral meeting (right photo). (Photos courtesy of Ministry of External Affairs, India)
NEW DELHI 25 April 2022 – Relations between the Philippines and India gained further momentum after a bilateral meeting between Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. and Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at the Hyderabad House on 24 April 2022 in New Delhi.
Secretary Locsin is in an official visit to India from 23 to 26 April 2022 to meet with Minister Jaishankar and participate in the 7th Edition of the Raisina Dialogue, India’s premier conference on geopolitics and geo-economics, which was first organized in 2016 and is committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the global community. Secretary Locsin joins 15 other ministers and high-level officials from other countries in the Dialogue.
In their meeting, the two officials discussed important progress in various bilateral cooperative activities since their February 2022 meeting, and also looked into new areas of cooperation in cybersecurity and science and technology. The two Ministers also exchanged views on regional and international developments, particularly on the Ukraine crisis, the situation in Myanmar, and the South China Sea issue.
“When we met in February, you said that the Philippines is a ‘natural partner for India’s Act East Policy’. We too, see India as a natural partner for navigating our increasingly complex regional and global security situation,” Secretary Locsin said.
“The Philippines and India are two of Asia’s largest and most vibrant democracies. We share a common aspiration for an international order based on liberty, the rule of law, and commitment to socio-economic development,” he added.
Announced in November 2014, India’s “Act East” policy refers to its diplomatic efforts to promote strategic, economic and cultural relations with the Asia-Pacific region at various levels, based on culture, commerce, connectivity, and capacity building (4Cs). It is an expansion of the “Look East” policy, which was an effort to cultivate extensive strategic and economic relations with Southeast Asian nations towards strengthening India’s standing as a regional power.
Recognizing the Philippines’ and India’s common interests in maritime security and safety, and maritime environmental protection, as well as their support for a rules-based international order, Secretary Locsin and Minister Jaishankar explored the possibility of establishing a maritime dialogue forum this year.
After the meeting, Secretary Locsin and Minister Jaishankar witnessed the signing of the Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance on Customs Matters, which aims to strengthen, promote and develop cooperation and mutual assistance on customs matters between the two countries. The Agreement was signed by Ambassador Ramon S. Bagatsing Jr. and Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs Chairman Vivek Johri for the Philippine and Indian sides, respectively.
Earlier, another agreement between the Philippines and India was signed, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Ayurveda and other Traditional Systems of Medicine by the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC) of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Indian Institute of Ayurveda (NIA) on 20 April 2022 at the sidelines of the Global AYUSH Innovation and Investment Summit in Gujarat, India, and was witnessed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In 2019, trade between the Philippines and India reached a high of USD 2.4 billion, with exports to India reaching USD 545.5 million, while imports were estimated at USD 1.83 billion. The figures slightly dipped in 2020 and the first three quarters of 2021 to USD 2.19 billion and USD 2.17 billion, respectively, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Top Philippine exports to India include nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery, and mechanical appliance; electrical machinery and equipment; natural or cultured pearls and precious or semi-precious stones and metals; copper; and lead. Meanwhile, top imports from India are mineral fuels and oils; vehicles; pharmaceutical products, iron and steel; and meat.
There are approximately 1,300 Filipinos working and residing in India, while there are more than 120,000 Indian nationals in the Philippines. END
Secretary Locsin (second from left) and Minister Jaishankar (second from right) witness the signing of the Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance on Customs Matters by Philippine Ambassador to India Ramon S. Bagatsing, Jr. (leftmost) and Indian Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs Chairman Vivek Johri (rightmost). (DFA-ASPAC photo by Johann Andal)