According to the Philippines News Agency, Manila wants to foster cooperation with India on the issue of climate change mitigation alongside the defence ties between the two nations. The Philippines Secretary of National Defence Gilberto Teodoro spoke about the possibility of future cooperation between Manila and New Delhi on climate change mitigation to safeguard internal and external supply chains, according to the Philippines Department of National Defence (DND).
Secretary Teodoro met with India’s Minister of External Affairs Dr. Jaishankar, on 26th March 2024, in Quezon City, Philippines, to discuss recent developments in the India-Philippines partnership and to discuss further joint initiatives to fortify their bilateral ties.
“Both the officials looked forward to more robust defence and military engagements, particularly the conduct of ministerial-level meetings,” according to the Philippines News Agency. Teodoro and Jaishankar acknowledged India’s firm support for the Philippines in the South China Sea. Dr Jaishankar highlighted India’s commitment to maintaining the rules-based international order and promoting peace and security in the Indo-Pacific Region,” according to a DND spokesperson.
In addition, Teodoro emphasised India’s contribution to the modernisation of the Philippine armed forces and its defence capability. He further highlighted the acquisition of three batteries of the BrahMos cruise missile system which are due this year for the Philippine Navy’s Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile System (SBASMS).
Furthermore, the officials agreed to strengthen their defence and military relations, conduct multi-level dialogue for capability development, and conduct educational training engagement between the two nations. In addition, Indian officials agreed to share the best practices of India’s Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) to foster maritime security through collaborative information sharing in the region, according to the Philippines News Agency.
Team Bharatshakti
