EAM Jaishankar calls on Philippines President, discusses ways to further strengthen strategic partnership
Manila, July 23
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in Manila on Thursday and conveyed greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as India's support for its chairship of ASEAN.
The minister noted that the cooperation between India and Philippines under the aegis of Strategic Partnership continues to diversify.
"Honoured to call on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of the Philippines. Conveyed the greetings of PM Narendra Modi and India's support for a successful chairship of ASEAN," EAM Jaishankar posted on X.
"India-Philippines cooperation under the aegis of our Strategic Partnership continues to diversify as we implement the India-Philippines Plan of Action 2025-2029," he added.
EAM Jaishankar is on an official visit to Philippines to participate in Foreign Minister level meetings under the ASEAN framework.
On Wednesday, EAM Jaishankar met his Philippines counterpart Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro in Manila, where both leaders discussed ways to advance the Strategic Partnership between the two countries and reviewed recent developments in the Indo-Pacific.
Sharing details of the meeting on X, EAM Jaishankar wrote, "A pleasure to meet FM Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro of Philippines today in Manila. A good discussion on further strengthening our Strategic Partnership, focusing on trade and; investment, education, defence and security, maritime cooperation, capacity building, and development cooperation."
"Also discussed recent developments in the Indo-Pacific," he added.
Following the meeting, Lazaro took to X and said the two leaders held a "productive discussion" on the Philippines-India Strategic Partnership, reaffirming their commitment to the "continued strengthening of various areas of cooperation, including financial technology, trade and investment, higher education, pharmaceuticals, defence, maritime security, and critical infrastructure".
Speaking to IANS on Wednesday, Josel F Ignacio, Ambassador of the Philippines to India, also highlighted the significance of EAM Jaishankar's ongoing visit to Manila.
"This visit by EAM, we value very much. In fact, EAM has visited the Philippines every two years in 2022, 2024, and now in 2026. We appreciate this regularity and this allows for closer discussions on issues of mutual interest to us. He just met our Foreign Secretary, Her Excellency Secretary Lazaro. Also, I am happy to note that just a couple of hours ago, Manila, was also the setting not just for the ASEAN-India Post-Ministerial Conference but also for another meeting of the Quad Foreign Ministers. So, all these positive developments, we are really satisfied with," he said.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting to see India's Focus on the east. While the Western press often overlooks these partnerships, this visit shows how India is quietly building strategic depth in Southeast Asia. The Quad meeting alongside the ASEAN conference is a smart move.
This is wonderful! India and Philippines have shared maritime interests in the Indo-Pacific. Jaishankar ji's regular visits show our commitment. The focus on fintech and education will benefit both our young populations 🇮🇳🤝🇵🇭
While this diplomatic engagement is good, I hope the agreements translate into concrete benefits for ordinary Indians and Filipinos. We've seen many MOUs in the past that didn't yield much. Still, maintaining regular high-level contact is better than neglecting the region.
#ActEast policy in action! Philippines is a key partner in the South China Sea region. Our naval cooperation and maritime security discussions are critical given the current geopolitical climate. Good to see India playing an active role in ASEAN affairs.
It's nice to see these diplomatic visits, but I wish our media would cover more about what actually gets achieved on the ground - trade numbers, student exchanges, IT collaborations. The Philippines has a huge English-speaking workforce like ours. We should be doing more business together.
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