Counter-terrorism, Tourism, Student Exchange: India Hopes for Boost in Ties With Jaishankar’s Philippines Visit

As part of his first trip to Philippines as an External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar on Monday met Teddy Locsin Jr, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the country. The two ministers reviewed developments in bilateral relations since the meeting of the Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation that they co-chaired in virtual format in November 2020.

They discussed the future trajectory of the wide-ranging engagement between the two countries and had an in-depth exchange of views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

Welcoming the recent trends in bilateral ties that have contributed to the cooperation, expansion and the vision of the leadership of both countries, Jaishankar and Locsin agreed to further work towards “strengthening engagement in counter-terrorism and defence and maritime security, covering defence capabilities as well as military training and capacity building.”

“In light of the complementarities between two countries as fast growing market economies, and the shared interest in diversifying supply chains, the ministers agreed to make efforts to further expand economic cooperation as well as trade and investment links in a range of areas such as agriculture, infrastructure, health and pharmaceuticals, tourism, ICT, and science & technology,” the external affairs ministry said.

“The ministers also noted with satisfaction recent initiatives to step up cooperation in emerging areas such as fintech, blue economy, renewable energy, space, cyber security and traditional medicine,” it said.

To expand business, tourism and student exchange between the two countries, both sides also agreed on the need for a simplified visa regime between India and the Philippines.

Jaishankar also sought the attention of the Philippine government to facilitate early return of Indian medical students to the Philippines.

“Both Ministers agreed to coordinate closely at multilateral fora and reaffirmed their strong commitment to a multifaceted partnership that would facilitate the developmental aspirations and shared priorities of the two democracies in Indo-Pacific region,” the statement said.

During the visit, Jaishankar also interacted with H.E. Delfin Lorenzana, Secretary of Defence, H.E. Carlos Domineguez III, Secretary of Finance and H.E. Dr William Dar, Secretary of Agriculture to discuss issues strengthening cooperation in Defence, Finance and Agriculture sectors, respectively.

He also held discussions with a cross-section of the Indian Community in Manila, the ministry said.

“He appreciated their role in promoting friendship and amity between the people of two countries and urged them to continue to be a bridge between the people of India and the Philippines,” it added.

Jaishankar’s visit came right after the Quad Foreign Ministers meeting in Melbourne, held over the weekend.

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