At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ferdinand R Marcos Jr, the President of the Philippines, will pay a State Visit to India from August 4-8, a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.
Philippines President State Visit Details
Marcos will be accompanied by First Lady Madame Louise Araneta Marcos, and a high-level delegation including several Cabinet Ministers, other dignitaries and senior officials, in addition to business representatives. Marcos will also visit Bengaluru before returning to the Philippines on August 8, the statement said.
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This would be the first visit of Marcos to India, since assumption of office of the President of the Philippines. During the visit, Prime Minister and President Marcos are scheduled to hold bilateral discussions on August 5, as per the statement.
Marcos will also be meeting President Droupadi Murmu. External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar is also scheduled to call on President Marcos during this visit.
India-Philippines Relations
Diplomatic relations between India and the Philippines were established in November 1949. Both countries have since developed a strong partnership across a wide spectrum of areas, including trade and investment, defence and security, maritime cooperation, agriculture, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and digital technologies. The two countries also engage closely at regional level, including through India’s Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with ASEAN.
The statement added that India’s relations with the Philippines are an integral pillar of our ‘Act East’ Policy, Vision MAHASAGAR and our vision of the Indo-Pacific. The forthcoming State Visit of President Marcos, coincides with the 75th anniversary of India-Philippines diplomatic relations. The visit is an opportunity for both leaders to set the path for future bilateral cooperation, and to engage on regional and international issues of mutual interest, it added.
India and the Philippines share warm and multifaceted bilateral relations rooted in historical ties and shared democratic values. Cooperation spans various sectors, including defense, trade, investment, and cultural exchange.
India-Philippines First-Ever Joint Maritime Patrol In South China Sea
In other news, India has recently deployed its Eastern Fleet flotilla to the South China Sea, marking a significant escalation in the region’s tense geopolitical landscape.
The deployment features India’s first-ever joint maritime patrol with the Philippines in these hotly contested waters, signalling a clear strategic push against China’s growing influence, as reported by the US Naval Institute.
The flotilla, including the guided-missile destroyer INS Mysore (D 60), the anti-submarine corvette INS Kiltan (D 30), and the replenishment vessel INS Shakti (A 57), docked at the Port of Manila for goodwill activities ahead of the planned cooperative maritime operations.
This unprecedented naval cooperation with the Philippines comes amid India’s expanding role as a security partner in Southeast Asia and, more specifically, its open backing of Manila’s military modernisation efforts in the face of Chinese assertiveness.
The US Naval Institute reports that Philippine Navy Captain John Alcos emphasised the importance of these activities, noting the strengthening of a “robust maritime relationship” between the two navies. However, operational specifics remain classified, likely to obscure the growing anti-China agenda behind the joint patrols.
(With inputs from ANI)
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
