On Monday, Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is expected to land in New Delhi on a five-day state visit with the goal of enhancing India-Philippines commerce and defense ties.
Since taking office in 2022, this is his first official trip to India.
Along with First Lady Louise Araneta Marcos and a high-level delegation that includes Cabinet Ministers, senior officials, and business executives, President Marcos is scheduled to land at New Delhi Airport in the afternoon. The 75th anniversary of the two nations’ diplomatic ties falls during his visit, giving the events scheduled over the next few days additional symbolic meaning.
Deeper defense and strategic collaboration, particularly in the maritime sector, is anticipated to be the visit’s outcome.
Notably, the Philippines became the first foreign nation to purchase India’s supersonic cruise missile system, the BrahMos. On April 19, 2024, the Philippines received the first shipment of BrahMos missiles. It is expected that the visit would result in an agreement to strengthen defense cooperation, with a special emphasis on maritime security.
On August 5, President Marcos and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to have a bilateral meeting. Additionally, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar will call on him and meet with President Droupadi Murmu on Monday in New Delhi.
Before leaving India on August 8, the president of the Philippines is also anticipated to make a stop in Bengaluru.
The Philippines is an important partner in India’s Act East Policy, Vision MAHASAGAR, and Indo-Pacific strategy, according to the country’s Ministry of External Affairs. The connection is rooted in strong historical and cultural ties in addition to strategic objectives.
Archaeological discoveries like as the Agusan Tara statue and the Laguna Copperplate inscription attest to centuries-old ties, and the Tagalog language has many words with Sanskrit origins.
In November 1949, India and the Philippines formally established diplomatic relations. Bilateral relations have significantly increased since the introduction of India’s Look East Policy in 1992 and its subsequent evolution into the Act East Policy, mostly through ASEAN collaboration.
The most recent brief meeting between President Marcos and Prime Minister Modi took place in Jakarta during the 20th ASEAN-India Summit in 2023, and again in October 2024 during the 21st ASEAN-India Summit and the 19th East Asia Summit in Lao PDR.
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