Intervention by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the 22nd ASEAN-India Summit
His Excellency Prime Minister Narenda Modi,
Your Majesty, Excellencies,
Colleagues,
Last August, I had the privilege of visiting India at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi.
During my visit to the world’s largest democracy, I witnessed firsthand that as nations of the Global South, we share common challenges— and that deeper cooperation among us is essential.
As Southeast Asia’s next-door neighbor, which is set to become the world’s fourth-largest economy, India has a lot to offer to ASEAN as a region.
As a committed Dialogue Partner that recognizes ASEAN Centrality through its Act East Policy, which stresses ASEAN as a core pillar of its engagement policy, we may also turn our gaze to India for solutions to our common concerns.
Foremost, as a maritime and archipelagic nation, I wish to highlight the great importance of the rule of law in our oceans.
Both ASEAN and India should see peaceful settlement of disputes and maritime cooperation as essential, as our seas contribute to the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region.
In this regard, I thank Prime Minister Modi for India’s consistent support for international law and the rule of law in our oceans.
I also value the experience and support of India for the peaceful settlement of disputes and adherence to international law, particularly UNCLOS, which upholds our
common interest as a community of nations to promote the peaceful uses of our seas and oceans, whether in the Bay of Bengal or the South China Sea.
By submitting itself to the judgment of an international tribunal to resolve its maritime dispute, India, as a responsible major power and a good neighbor, should be seen as an example of how it uses international law to resolve differences.
As we agreed to declare 2026 as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation, the Philippines, as ASEAN Chair next year, looks forward to undertaking meaningful activities that will give greater substance to this celebration, such as maritime exercises to promote freedom and safety of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region.
As an example, last year the Indian Navy rescued and assisted Filipino seafarers after they were attacked by the Houthis.
This experience showed us, in its most practical application, how maritime security could impact our people.
The Philippines is confident that our activities to promote maritime cooperation are a testament to our shared determination to protect our trade and prosperity, and our freedoms.
On our economic relations, the Philippines reaffirms its strong support for the ongoing review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA).
This process presents an opportunity to make the Agreement more user-friendly, transparent, and truly facilitative for businesses.
We acknowledge that progress in the negotiations has been measured. While this reflects the complexity of the issues at hand, it also underscores the need for balancing the varied interests and sensitivities of all parties.
That said, we must not lose sight of the urgency to deliver an agreement that is practical, forward-looking, and responsive to today’s challenges.
The Philippines, therefore, encourages all parties to exercise flexibility and to approach the review with a spirit of compromise and collaboration.
A timely and meaningful upgrade of AITIGA will not only expand market access and strengthen supply chains, but also enhance ASEAN-India economic relations and reinforce the credibility of our regional integration agenda.
Colleagues,
I also wish to highlight technology as an area where we can further deepen our cooperation.
India has many innovations that can be shared with ASEAN — for example, its advanced fintech ecosystem, which not only enhances business efficiency, but also enables governments to promote greater financial inclusion, especially at the grassroots.
I hope we can share lessons and experiences in this arena to benefit all our peoples.
Sustainable energy is also essential to power our technologies. ASEAN and India can be acknowledged for their growing cooperation in this area.
We note the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the ASEAN Center for Energy (ACE) and India’s Global Center for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP).
The MOU will hopefully benefit ASEAN in advancing nuclear energy systems, nuclear security and physical protection systems, nuclear safety, and environmental radiation monitoring, among others.
Colleagues,
On people-to-people exchanges, we have put forward initiatives aligned with the celebration of 2025 as the ASEAN–India Year of Tourism.
We appreciate India’s financial support of USD 5 million from the ASEAN-India Fund towards joint activities of the ASEAN-India Tourism Work Plan.
In support of this initiative, the Philippines participated in the ASEAN-India Cruise Dialogue, which brought together policymakers, industry leaders, port authorities, and other
key stakeholders to foster collaboration and share best practices in cruise tourism management.
Bilaterally, the Philippines and India have mutually granted visa-free entry for each other’s citizens to promote tourism. Direct flights between New Delhi and Manila also just resumed this month.
These initiatives not only support the tourism industry, but also strengthen people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding between ASEAN and India.
Lastly, in our capacity as the Country Coordinator for ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations, I would like to report on our major accomplishments and activities as stated in the ASEAN-India Common Statement.
Colleagues,
The elevation of our partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022 has provided momentum for closer cooperation across all three Community Pillars.
On the political-security front, we recognize India’s strong and consistent support for ASEAN Centrality, unity, and relevance, as well as its active participation in ASEAN-led mechanisms such as the East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), and the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum.
These platforms have allowed us to advance cooperation in maritime security, disaster response, counter-terrorism, and cyber resilience.
Building on the ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Maritime Cooperation and the success of the first ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise in 2023, we welcome the declaration of 2026 as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation, which will further strengthen our shared maritime priorities.
In the economic pillar, we recognize the ongoing review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA), which will make our trade more inclusive and future-ready.
We appreciate India’s collaboration in the areas of energy, agriculture, and connectivity, including the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway and emerging cooperation on green and digital economies.
On the socio-cultural front, ASEAN thanks India for its steadfast support in education, youth exchanges, and people-to-people linkages.
We welcome India’s contribution of USD 5 million to support ASEAN-India disaster management cooperation and its continued efforts to promote sustainable tourism under the
ASEAN-India Year of Tourism 2025.
We also welcome the adoption of the ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Sustainable Tourism.
This reflects our commitment to promote tourism that is guided by green, blue, and circular economy principles that are pro-planet and nature-positive, and address local communities and ecosystem needs, while ensuring a high-quality tourism experience and industry growth.
Your Majesty, Excellencies,
In closing, the Philippines is honored to contribute to the strengthening of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations.
We remain confident that our shared values and common aspirations will continue to advance a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
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