External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Philippines Secretary for Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo co-chaired the 5th India-Philippines Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) in New Delhi. The meeting focused on various areas of cooperation between the two countries. Here are the key highlights:
Areas of Cooperation Discussed
During the meeting, the following key areas of cooperation were discussed:
- Trade & Investments: The officials emphasized enhancing trade and investment ties between India and the Philippines.
- Development Cooperation: Both sides discussed cooperation in the field of development, aiming to strengthen bilateral ties.
- Health & Pharma: The meeting addressed collaboration in the health and pharmaceutical sectors, recognizing their significance in bilateral relations.
- Defence: Discussions were held on enhancing defense cooperation between India and the Philippines.
- Maritime Security: Maritime security emerged as a focal point of the meeting, emphasizing the importance of cooperation in ensuring the safety of sea routes.
- Counter-terrorism: Counter-terrorism efforts were highlighted, reflecting the shared commitment of both countries to combatting terrorism.
- Transnational Crimes: The officials discussed strategies to address transnational crimes, emphasizing the need for international cooperation.
Post-meeting Remarks
Following the conclusion of the meeting, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar tweeted about the productive and comprehensive nature of the discussion. He highlighted the importance of broadening cooperation and enhancing contacts as the two countries approach the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.
Jaishankar further elaborated on the agenda, emphasizing the significance of defense, maritime security, counter-terrorism, and transnational crimes. He also acknowledged the growing economic ties, development cooperation, health and pharmaceutical collaboration, tourism, air services, agriculture, fintech, and science and technology cooperation. The minister recognized the importance of people-to-people ties, particularly in the tourism and education sectors. He further acknowledged the strong collaboration between India and the Philippines in ASEAN and other multilateral forums. The convergence of interests on key issues in the Indo-Pacific region was also underlined.
Philippines’ Perspective
Philippines Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Enrique Manalo, expressed his sincere appreciation to Jaishankar for inviting him to discuss the fifth JCBC. He highlighted India’s priority partnership in science and technology and space cooperation. Manalo noted the increasing number of Filipinos visiting and studying in the Philippines, further facilitating the flow of people between the two countries through increased commercial flights. He also announced the Philippines’ ratification of the updated Air Services Agreement with India.
The meeting between Jaishankar and Manalo signifies the importance of India-Philippines bilateral relations and their commitment to strengthening cooperation across various sectors.
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