Philippines, India raise ties to strategic partnership

The Philippines and India have elevated their ties to a strategic partnership, President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. said on Tuesday.

At the joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Marcos said the decision made India the Philippines' fifth strategic partner.

"Today, our relationship enters a new epoch as Prime Minister Modi and I formally launched the strategic partnership between the Philippines and India. For the Philippines, this is a momentous decision for we take a very considered path to such elevated partnership,'' Marcos said. 

Marcos said the strategic partnership attests to the rapid growth of the two nations' bilateral relations. 

The Philippines and India also agreed to continue leveling up their collaboration in connection with defense and security. 

According to Marcos, there is a need for intensified dialogues between the defense departments and craft mechanisms for service-to-service talks, training exchanges, and information sharing between the military. 

Marcos said the two countries would also foster naval and coast guard interoperability through port calls and capacity building in the maritime domain. 

He thanked the Indian government for its adherence to international law, including UNCLOS and the 2016 arbitral ruling, which invalidated China's massive claims in the South China Sea. 

Several deals were also inked during Marcos's state visit. They were presented before the two leaders' delivered their press statements.

The agreements include the following: 

• Terms of Reference between the Indian Air Force and the Philippine Air Force on Air Staff Talks and Terms of Reference between the Indian Army and the Philippine Army on Army-to-Army Staff Talks and Terms of Reference between the Indian Navy and the Philippine Navy on Navy-to-Navy Staff Talks; 
• Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and Treaty on Transfer of Sentenced Persons between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines; 
• Programme of Cooperation in the field of Science and Technology for the period of 2025-2028 between the Department of Science and Technology of the Republic of India and the Department of Science and Technology of the Republic of the Philippines; 
• Implementation Program between the Department of Tourism of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Ministry of Tourism of the Ministry the Government of the Republic of India on Tourism Cooperation;
• Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines on Cooperation in the Field of Digital Technologies;
• Statement of Intent between Indian Space Research Organisation, Republic of India and the Philippine Space Agency, Philippines on Cooperation on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space; 
• Terms of Reference for Enhanced Maritime Cooperation between the Indian Coast Guard and the Philippine Coast Guard; and
• Cultural Exchange Programme between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines.

–NB, GMA Integrated News