Foreign Affairs Secretary of Philippines Albert F. Del Rosario (Source:counterpiracy.ae) Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj co-chaired the third India-Philippines Joint Commission meeting (IPJC-3) with Foreign Affairs Secretary of Philippines Albert F. Del Rosario in the Indian capital of New Delhi on October 14.
The event’s joint statement said both sides decided to step up cooperation in politics and security, economics, trade, investment, culture, agriculture, tourism and pharmaceuticals, among others.
The Ministers expressed their satisfaction with the deepening defence cooperation, especially exchanges in military training and education, capacity building and regular visits between the two countries’ navies.
Both sides agreed to strengthen defence and security cooperation, especially in maritime, intelligence sharing, capacity building and defence production as well as boosting cooperation in the framework of the India-Philippines Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC).
The Ministers affirmed their shared commitment to fight the scourge of terrorism in all forms and agreed to convene the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism in New Delhi early to discuss issues related to terrorism and other transnational crimes.
The two Ministers emphasised the importance of safeguarding the freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, calling on the involving parties to abide by the universal principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The Ministers pledged to enhance bilateral trade and investment, agreeing to organise the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Trade and Investment early next year and hasten the ratification of the ASEAN-India Trade in Services and Investment Agreement while considering Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA).
Both Ministers agreed that the next meeting on the policy consultations and strategic dialogue will be held in New Delhi in 2016.
They also pledged to speed up the visit of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Philippines in the near future.-VNA
