Philippines Hosts 27th ASEAN-India Senior Officials’ Meeting

Photo courtesy: DFA-OPD Johannes Adrian De Guia

MANILA 13 March 2025 — Philippine Senior Official Leader and Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs, H.E. Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, co-chaired the 27th ASEAN-India Senior Officials’ Meeting (AISOM) alongside H.E. Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary (East) of the Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India on 12 March 2025.

AISOM is an annual meeting that reviews and discusses ASEAN-India relations under the three pillars of ASEAN, as well as the future direction of ASEAN-India relations.   

In her opening remarks, Undersecretary and PH Senior Official to ASEAN Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, emphasized India’s role as a leader of the Global South and its commendable adherence to ASEAN Centrality and the rules-based international order. She highlighted that this strong commitment reinforces India’s position as a dependable partner of ASEAN in advancing human welfare, regional peace, stability, and prosperity in Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific region.

ASEAN-India SOM Leader Mazumdar emphasized the importance of continued cooperation in advancing the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and highlighted key initiatives such as India’s proposal to designate 2026 as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation, along with other initiatives on connectivity, sustainable tourism, green economy, health, defense and digital transformation. 

The Philippines is the Country Coordinator for ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations until 2027. END