India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar caught up with Philippines Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro in New York on Monday, just as the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) kicked off. The two leaders focused on boosting India-Philippines cooperation in the UN and the Indo-Pacific region, building on the recent state visit by Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to India.
Jaishankar shared his thoughts on X, saying he was pleased to meet Lazaro at the start of UNGA 80. “We followed up on the recent State Visit of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to India. Also discussed our cooperation in the UN and the Indo-Pacific region,” he posted.
Lazaro echoed the positive vibe on X, noting that the meeting “reaffirms our two countries’ commitment as Strategic Partners to actively develop cooperation in political, defence and security, the maritime domain, etc.”
The conversation ties back to President Marcos Jr.’s five-day trip to India in August, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited him for talks. During a joint press conference at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, Modi highlighted the strong India-Philippines relations. He called the two nations “friends by choice and partners by destiny,” pointing out their shared values from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific.
Modi also stressed the deep cultural ties that go back centuries. He mentioned the Philippines’ Ramayana-inspired epic, Maharadia Lawana, as “living proof” of these ancient bonds. “India and the Philippines are friends by choice and partners by destiny. From the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, we are united by shared values. Ours is not just a friendship of the past; it is a promise for the future,” Modi said.
For his part, President Marcos Jr. expressed eagerness to team up with India for a free and open Indo-Pacific. He voiced satisfaction with his country’s fast-paced defence modernization and praised India’s growing homegrown defence industry. He specifically spotlighted the BrahMos missile project as a key example of their partnership.
This meeting underscores the growing momentum in India-Philippines ties, especially in defence cooperation and regional stability in the Indo-Pacific.
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