India looks forward to strengthened military partnership with Philippines under Marcos admin

India Ambassador to the Philippines Shambhu Kumaran is looking forward to a stronger partnership between India and the Philippines when it comes to the military aspect under the Marcos administration.

Kumaran paid a courtesy call on presumptive president Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Monday at the BBM Headquarters in Mandaluyong City.

Other diplomats, including Japan Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko and South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Kim Inchul, also had a meeting with Marcos.

Kumaran said India continues to push for excellent bilateral relations with the Philippines.

He further said India would like to work with the Philippines on capacity-building and capability development of the Philippine military.

"We do believe that under the modernization program of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), there are potential areas where Indian companies can be [inaudible] and we will work closely with the Philippine Armed Forces and the DND (Department of National Defense) to take forward this partnership in the new administration," Kumaran told reporters.

Early this year, the DND and the BrahMos Aerospace signed a contract for the acquisition of a shore-based anti-ship missile system worth P18.9 billion.

According to the DND, the deal with BrahMos Aerospace — a joint venture between India and Russia — involves three batteries, training for operators and maintainers as well as logistics support.

Meanwhile, asked if China was specifically discussed during the meeting with Marcos, Kumaran answered in the negative. India and China have their own dispute specifically in a border in the Himalayan region.
                                                    
"We had a very wide-ranging discussion, as I said, on a lot of priorities of the president focusing on development in the Philippines. I briefed him about the successes of digital governance in India, and of course health, agriculture, so the focus of the discussion was on the bilateral relationship," he said. —KG, GMA News