The representatives of the two countries will review the full range of bilateral relations including politics, defense, security, maritime cooperation, trade and investment during the Fifth India-Philippines Joint Commission to be held next Thursday, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India.
They will also examine progress in the health, tourism, agriculture and financial technology sectors, and discuss regional and multilateral issues.
Manalo will meet Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar as part of his program. He will also give a lecture on the joint project under the MoU signed between the Philippine Foreign Service Institute and the Indian Council of World Affairs in November 2017.
According to the Indian Foreign Ministry, Manalo’s visit will provide an opportunity to thoroughly review bilateral ties and explore ways to deepen and strengthen them.
India and the Philippines established diplomatic relations formally on November 26th, 1949, shortly after both countries gained their independence. The ties between the two nations are friendly, with shared historical values and common ground, such as South-South cooperation; however, the potential of these links is still far from being achieved, diplomatic sources acknowledged.
jrr/llp/lam/lrd
