INDIA-PH RELATIONS
Marcos Jr. flies to India for 5-day state visit
MANILA—President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. departed for India on Monday morning to begin a five-day state visit, following an invitation from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The presidential plane left at approximately 10:44 a.m.
In his pre-departure statement, Marcos highlighted the shared strategic interests and values of the Philippines and India as coastal states in the Indo-Pacific. He underscored the importance of their “growing maritime cooperation” and mutual commitment to international maritime law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award.
Objectives of the visit
The President stated that the visit aims to strengthen bilateral ties and explore deeper cooperation in several key areas:
- Defense cooperation
- Trade and investment to maximize opportunities with India, the world’s fifth-largest economy
- Health and pharmaceuticals to pursue more affordable medicine
- Connectivity and agriculture
- Tourism
He expressed his hope that the visit would yield “concrete benefits for the Filipino people” and contribute to a “deeper, broader, and more meaningful” relationship that fosters regional peace and prosperity.
Scheduled meetings and activities
During the state visit, scheduled from August 4 to 8, the Philippines and India are expected to sign at least six agreements. President Marcos’s itinerary includes:
- A bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- A meeting with Indian President Droupadi Murmu.
- An engagement with the Filipino community in New Delhi.
- Meetings with chief executive officers in Bangalore, often referred to as the “Silicon Valley of India.”
Marcos’s office also announced that a meeting with his Cabinet will be held on the sidelines of the state visit to discuss the Department of Agriculture’s recommendation to increase tariffs on imported rice and temporarily suspend importation.
