New Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS) Philippines President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr. on Tuesday expressed readiness to work with India towards a free and open Indo-Pacific while expressing satisfaction over the rapid pace of the Philippines ongoing defence modernization and the expanding capabilities and footprint of India's indigenous defence industry as a partner in this undertaking that is exemplified by the Brahmos project. Making a joint press statement with PM Modi following their bilateral discussions at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi, Marcos announced that the two nations will foster naval and coast guard interoperability via more port calls in cooperative activities and capacity building in the maritime sector.

"We agreed to continue leveling up our collaboration in defence and security. We expressed satisfaction over the rapid pace of the Philippines ongoing defence modernization and the expanding capabilities and footprint of India's indigenous defence industry as a partner in this undertaking exemplified by our Brahmos project. We concurred that we should be accompanied with intensified dialogue and exchanges between our defence establishments. So, we have agreed to establish mechanisms for service-to-service talks for information sharing and training exchanges amongst our militaries," he said.

"We will foster naval and coast guard interoperability via port calls in cooperative activities and capacity building in the maritime domain. The economic sphere has been a steady engine driving our ties for seven-plus decades... We have decided to expedite the work that we are doing to forge a bilateral preferential trade agreement. We looked at leveraging mutual opportunities to boost two-way investment. Our fast growing innovated private enterprises will play an important role in our common march towards progress and development, facilitating innovation, technology transfer, and upskilling and generating employment for our people," the Philippines President added.

Thanking the Indian Navy for rescuing Philippines citizens following a Houthi rebel attack last year, he stated that ties between two nations have entered a new epoch as he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched the strategic partnership between the longstanding partners. The visiting leader also expressed the Philippines' full solidarity with India over the heinous April 22 Pahalgam attack. "As emissaries of our people, I bring with me the enduring friendship of the Filipino nation. I carry the message of our solidarity with India both over the tragic attack in Pahalgam earlier this year and in the broader fight against terrorism. Despite these challenges, I also bear felicitations on India's remarkable transformation and inexorable march to become Vikit Bharat by 2047 under Prime Minister Modi's guiding hand," he said.

He announced India and the Philippines have agreed to level up collaboration in defence and security, stating that India has become the fifth strategic partner for Philippines and emphasised that this new apex showcases the rapid growth and deepening of the bilateral ties. "I again thank the Indian people and the brave men and women of the Indian Navy through Prime Minister Modi for your kind rescue of our nationals in 2024 after a Houthi rebel attack. We recognise India's influence as first responder role in this critical area and we want to work with you for a free and open Indo-Pacific.

"We both have high stakes in the future of our Indo-Pacific region and in the world. The Philippines-India strategic partnership will doubtless resonate beyond the confines of our bilateral relationship. Prime Minister Modi and I have committed to bring our collaboration to bear on shared concerns. A free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, security and rule of law in the maritime commons. supply chain resilience, food security, countering terrorism and other traditional and non-traditional threats," he added.

The visiting leader thanked PM Modi for India’s support on the peaceful settlement of disputes and adherence to international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 arbitration award on the South China Sea. He stated that India and the Philippines have also decided to expedite the work to forge a bilateral preferential trade agreement.

"I come at a crucial juncture in our bilateral partnership. Today, our relationship enters a new epoch as Prime Minister Modi and I formally launched the strategic partnership between Philippines and India. For the Philippines, this is a momentous decision for we take a very considered path to such elevated partnerships. Today, India becomes only the fifth strategic partner for the Philippines. This new apex attests as much to the remarkably rapid growth, broadening and deepening of our 75-year-old bilateral relationship. The possibilities represented by the strong upward trajectory of our true economies as it does to the growing alignment of our interests and views on the challenges and imperatives of our time. This was also the auspicious context in which Prime Minister Modi and I engaged in far-reaching, productive and forward-looking discussions this past hour," he said.