Philippines and India Agree to Scale up Cooperation in Support of the International Rules-Based Order

Indian External Affairs Minister (left) and Secretary Enrique A. Manalo (right) discussed bilateral and regional issues during the Indian foreign minister’s second visit

to the Philippines (DFA photo by James Ryan Artiaga)

MANILA, 27 MARCH 2024 - In a bilateral meeting between Secretary Enrique A. Manalo and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar during the second visit to Manila of India’s top envoy, the two sides reaffirmed their shared interest in a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.  Echoing their meeting in New Delhi in June 2023, the Ministers underlined the need for the peaceful settlement of disputes and for adherence to international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea.

Secretary Manalo and Minister Jaishankar also took stock of the increasingly multifaceted relations of the Philippines and India spanning the development, agriculture, health, science, space, education and financial technology sectors.  Facilitating trade and tourism also featured prominently in the agenda.

Recognizing their intersecting interests in maritime security, they highlighted the significant contributions of both countries to global merchant shipping.  The Ministers agreed to explore cooperation to ensure the safety of Indian and Filipino seafarers, particularly those working aboard vessels plying the Red Sea.  They further decided to accelerate maritime cooperation in maritime domain awareness, shipping and seafaring, search and rescue, law enforcement and environmental protection, among others.

With the Philippines as country coordinator of ASEAN-India relations beginning July 2024, the Ministers stressed the importance of continued multilateral cooperation in ASEAN, as well as in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the United Nations, on issues such as regional trade, climate change and maritime concerns.

During a joint press conference following their bilateral meeting, Secretary Manalo emphasized the expansion and deepening of the two countries’ security engagements, stating that in addition to activities such as training and joint [defense] committee meeting, the two countries are “also exploring other ways where we can contribute to the security of both our countries as well as ensure that the Indo-Pacific region remains open and peaceful, and is a region of peace and development.”  

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar “[took] the opportunity to firmly reiterate India’s support to the Philippines for upholding its national sovereignty” in response to a question on recent aggressions in the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea.

The Indian foreign minister also had a courtesy call on President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. as well as meetings with Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr., National Security Adviser Eduardo M. Año and Secretary of Information and Communications Technology Ivan John Uy. 

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