'Friends by choice, partners by destiny': Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi on India-Philippines ties

India and the Philippines have elevated their bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership during the state visit of the Philippines President, Mr. Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., to India, marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties. Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi highlighted the civilisational and cultural connections between the two countries, citing the Philippines' Ramayana, Maharadia Lawana, as evidence of centuries-old ties. Emphasising their shared vision for the Indo-Pacific, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi called the Philippines a key partner in India's Act East Policy and MAHASAGAR vision and expressed full support for the country’s upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) chairmanship. Both leaders committed to expanding cooperation in defence, agriculture, space, technology, and trade, where bilateral trade has already crossed Rs. 26,358 crore (US$ 3 billion). An extensive action plan was announced to deepen collaboration, including finalising the review of the India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and working towards a Bilateral Preferential Trade Agreement.
During delegation-level talks, both sides agreed to cooperate in key sectors such as cloud infrastructure, health-oriented agri-research like ultra-low glycaemic index rice, and digital technology, including the development of sovereign data cloud infrastructure in the Philippines. India also announced an increase in the number of Quick Impact Projects to support local development. Defence cooperation saw a milestone as three Indian Navy ships, including a hydrography vessel, participated in naval exercises in the Philippines for the first time. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed to advance space collaboration. Earlier, the Philippines President, Mr. Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., received a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan by the President of India, Ms. Droupadi Murmu, and Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi. Describing the Indo-Pacific as a natural evolution of the Asia Pacific, he reaffirmed the growing strategic alignment between the two nations. 

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