India and the Philippines sign four agreements to strengthen ties -

Manila: During the Philippines visit, Indian President Ramnath Kovind extended bilateral talks with the President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte. At the time, the two nations signed mutual agreements covering maritime domain, security, tourism, science, technology, and culture.

‘Both India and the Philippines have been victims of terrorism. For decades, India was targeted with cross-border terrorism. Both the countries have thus committed to work closely together to fight terrorism’, said President Ramnath Kovind. He added that the bilateral talks with the President of the Philippines had turned out to be very fruitful for both the countries.

The diplomatic relations between India and the Philippines were established 70 years ago. President Kovind’s visit, therefore, assumes much significance. During the visit, discussions on a wide range of topics including security, terrorism, trade, agriculture, science and technology, and investments received particular focus. Furthermore, President Kovind extended an invitation to the companies from the Philippines to invest in India.

Meanwhile, the Indian and Philippine navies signed an agreement on sharing white shipping information, which means an exchange of critical information related to trade movement between the two countries. Territorial disputes exist between India and China over the South China Sea and could escalate. A few months back, President Duterte had threatened China that the Philippine Navy would launch suicidal attacks on Chinese ships.

Considering the developments, the relationship between India and the Philippines holds vital importance. After his tour to the Philippines, President Kovind will pay a visit to Japan.