New Delhi: External affairs minister S. Jaishankar has said there is a “convergence of interest in the Indo-Pacific” between India and the Philippines in terms of defence and security. Speaking at the Philippines National Day function he spoke of the need for “democratic values,” and “pluralism,” a reference to Manila's democratic structure. He also mentioned the need for following “international law and international norms.”
There was no mention of China in his speech, a country the Philippines has strong differences with as far as Scarborough Shoal and other parts of the South China Sea is concerned. India has exported a large consignment of supersonic BrahMos missiles to the Philippines— the largest sale of weapons by India to any country so far. Meanwhile, the India-China thaw after four years of tension in Ladakh is just beginning and joint patrolling in some areas has begun.
Jaishankar also spoke of India’s strength in IT and pharmaceuticals and emphasised India’s Act East policy. He also referred to a thousand Filipinos undergoing training in India and also, that the long stretch of friendly relations between the two countries was a “reminder of what lies ahead.”