THE Philippines is eyeing to elevate its bilateral relations with India amid current geopolitical conditions, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said.
Marcos made the statement during the courtesy call of Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita in Malacañang on Tuesday.
"The interactions between India and the Philippines have certainly increased in the past few years. And certainly, we would like to continue that closeness," the president told Margherita.
"The plan to elevate the bilateral relations is very interesting because in terms of geopolitical issues. Whereas we used to speak of Pacific or Asia-Pacific. It's now Indo-Pacific. And that's why I think that the alliances and the partnerships that we make become more and more important," he added.
Margherita's visit also coincides with the celebration of the 75th anniversary of India-Philippines bilateral relations.
In paying a courtesy call on Marcos, the official said he was conveying the respect of India and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Philippines and the president.
"It is a milestone that we have to mark our 75th year of diplomatic relations of our great nations," Margherita said.
Margherita's visit to the Philippines comes in the wake of the third summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation chaired by Modi in May 2023.
During his stay in the country, Margherita is expected to offer floral tributes at the bust of Mahatma Gandhi, known as the "Father of the Indian Nation," at Miriam College in Manila.
The Philippines and India formally established diplomatic relations on Nov. 26, 1949, after Manila and New Delhi gained independence in 1946 and 1947, respectively.
India ranked as the Philippines' 15th top trading partner. In 2023, total trade with India reached $3.08 billion, with exports valued at $1.1 billion and imports at $1.98 billion.
There are 53 signed agreements between the Philippines and India in the fields of trade, investment, science and technology, maritime, air services, taxation, culture, energy, agriculture, and defense, among others.