PH, INDIA PUSH MARITIME SAFETY

THE Philippines and India on Tuesday issued a joint statement upholding safety at sea and adherence to international law.

In his meeting with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said his country was closely following the developments in the Indo-Pacific region with great interest.

“We are strongly supportive of Asean’s centrality, cohesion and unity. We are also convinced that the progress and prosperity of this region are best served by staunch adherence to a rulesbased order,” Jaishankar said, noting all parties must adhere to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) “in its entirety both in letter and in spirit.”

“I take this opportunity to firmly reiterate India’s support to the Philippines for upholding its national sovereignty. As the world changes, it is essential that countries like India and the Philippines cooperate more closely to shape the emerging order,” he added.

Manalo said the Philippines and India were staunch advocates of freedom of navigation and the 1982 Unclos and the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea, which invalidated China’s expansive claim in the region.

“This was evident during my visit to New Delhi in June last year, and it was evident during our discussions today, especially on recent actions of China in the West Philippines Sea,” Manalo said.

Manalo and Jaishankar discussed advancing trade and tourism, as well as defense and maritime cooperation, food security, health care, and financial technology cooperation between their two countries.

India is the Philippines’ 15th foremost trading partner and 13th among its export markets, with total bilateral trade surpassing $3 billion in 2023.