Bilateral cooperation strengthened with new treaties, defense talks, digital projects, and cultural exchange
New Delhi, August 5, 2025 — India and the Philippines announced the formal establishment of a Strategic Partnership during the state visit of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to India. The announcement was accompanied by the signing of 13 agreements and treaties, alongside five key announcements aimed at expanding cooperation across defense, trade, technology, and culture.
President Marcos, on his first state visit to India, was welcomed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House after a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The two leaders held talks covering security, trade, digital transformation, science, and people-to-people ties.
Strategic Partnership and Roadmap
At the center of the outcomes was the Declaration on the Establishment of Strategic Partnership and the adoption of the India–Philippines Strategic Partnership Plan of Action (2025–2029). This roadmap will guide cooperation over the next four years, with a focus on defense, economy, innovation, and cultural exchanges.
Key Agreements Signed
The 13 documents signed include:
- Staff talks agreements between the air forces, armies, and navies of both nations.
- A Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.
- A Treaty on Transfer of Sentenced Persons.
- A new Programme of Cooperation in Science and Technology (2025–2028).
- An Implementation Program on Tourism Cooperation (2025–2028).
- An MoU on Cooperation in Digital Technologies.
- A Statement of Intent on Space Cooperation between ISRO and the Philippine Space Agency.
- Terms of Reference on Maritime Cooperation between the two coast guards.
- A renewed Cultural Exchange Programme.
These agreements establish institutional frameworks for defense dialogue, strengthen cooperation in law enforcement, promote exchanges in education and culture, and create opportunities in space research and digital infrastructure.
Major Announcements
Beyond the agreements, the two leaders made the following announcements:
- India’s support for a pilot project to help set up the Philippines’ Sovereign Data Cloud Infrastructure.
- Invitation for the Philippines to join the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), aimed at improving maritime domain awareness.
- Gratis e-tourist visa facility for Filipino nationals for one year, beginning in August 2025.
- Joint issuance of a commemorative stamp celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations.
- Adoption of Terms of Reference for negotiations on a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA).
Prime Minister Modi and President Marcos highlighted that the outcomes mark a new era in India–Philippines relations, reflecting shared goals in regional security and economic cooperation.
Defense agreements, particularly the staff talks between the three military services, institutionalize regular communication and pave the way for enhanced training, exchanges, and maritime cooperation. The space and digital agreements underline the growing focus on technology-driven collaboration.
Tourism and cultural exchange initiatives, supported by new visa relaxations and direct connectivity plans, are expected to boost people-to-people ties.
The Strategic Partnership is designed to give both nations a structured framework to work together on security, trade, technology, and cultural relations. With the Philippines also joining Indian-led initiatives like the IFC-IOR, the cooperation is expected to extend into regional and multilateral platforms.
The visit coincides with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties, marked symbolically by the commemorative stamp jointly released by the two leaders.
Source – MFA
