India and the Philippines have promised to extend their ties in various sectors- fintech, defense, security, civil aviation, and education. They took the decision on the 13th India-Philippines Foreign Office Consultations and the fourth Strategic Dialogue, which took place in Manila on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Indian delegation at the talks was conducted by Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The bilateral defense and security connections between India and the Philippines have been uplifting in the past few years. In January, the Philippines concluded a USD 375 million deal with India to get a hold of three batteries for the BrahMos cruise missile.

India signed a framework contract with the Philippines in March that offered government-to-government deals for the supply of defense hardware and equipment. During the two-day talks, the MEA stated both sides expressed their desire to enhance bilateral relations and extend arrangements in various areas- trade, fintech, defense, people-to-people ties, agriculture, security, and pharmaceuticals.

The MEA stated that it was agreed to work to extend engagement in other fields, such as development cooperation, space, and civil aviation. The MEA said the two sides agreed to convene bilateral mechanisms in different sectors earlier. The MEA said that during the Strategic Dialogue held on August 18, the two sides were concerned about India-Philippines defense and security cooperation and swapped views on global and regional issues of mutual interest as well as ASEAN-related matters.