The Ministry of External Affairs said in an official statement that the Philippines President Ferdinand Ar Marcos will be on a visit to India from August 4 to 8 at the invitation of Junior Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The statement said that the President will also come with the first woman Lewis Arnett Marocos, cabinet ministers, senior officials and a high-level delegation with several business representatives. This is the first official visit to India after taking over in 2022. A major attraction of this visit will be his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi, which is scheduled on 5 August. President Marcos will also meet President Draupadi Murmu and Foreign Minister Dr. S Jaishankar will meet him. As part of his journey program, the President will visit Bengaluru before returning to the Philippines on 8 August.
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75 years of diplomatic relations
It is noteworthy here that diplomatic relations between India and the Philippines were established in November 1949. Over the years, this partnership has been significantly expanded in broad areas such as trade and investment, defense and safety, maritime cooperation, agriculture, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and digital technologies. Both countries also maintain close cooperation at the regional level.
Relationships associated with Hind-Pacific approach
India’s relations with the Philippines are an important part of its ‘Act East Policy’, ‘Vision Ocean’ and its widespread Hind-Pacific. Significantly, this high-profile journey is taking place on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, giving both sides a valuable opportunity to deepen bilateral relations and unite on important regional and global issues.