New Delhi: On Thursday, India and the Philippines agreed to begin negotiations on a bilateral preferential trade treaty and pledged to increase defence cooperation, particularly in the marine security arena, in the face of growing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo of the Philippines and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar of India held lengthy talks in which they both emphasised the importance of carrying out the 2016 United Nations arbitration court ruling on the South China Sea.
Indian and Philippine defence and security ties are improving. The Philippines and India signed a USD 375 million contract in January 2017 for the purchase of three BrahMos cruise missile battery sets.—Inputs from Agencies
