President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday described his ongoing state visit to India as one of his “most productive and constructive.”
Marcos made the statement during his meeting with Indian President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where he expressed gratitude for the warm reception extended to him and his delegation and underscored the deepening friendship between the Philippines and India.
“Like my father before me, I will always cherish this state visit as a living proof of our shared desire to draw closer to each other,” Marcos said.
The President said he was “much inspired” by the outcomes of their high-level engagements and looked forward to bringing home the gains from the trip and advancing the initiatives both sides had agreed upon.
“I have to say that we did not expect to cover much ground because of the little time that we had to share,” he said. “I am happy to report that this was certainly not the case. This has been one of my most productive and constructive visits ever.”
He credited the success of the meetings to the “enduring closeness” between the Philippines and India, saying both nations had found “a multitude of possibilities and areas of potential” despite the limited time.
On Thursday, Marcos is scheduled to visit Bengaluru, India’s technology and innovation hub, to meet with industry leaders and explore cooperation in digital infrastructure, startups, and advanced manufacturing.
Marcos earlier met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House. The two leaders formally launched the Philippines–India Strategic Partnership and witnessed the signing of more than a dozen bilateral agreements in areas including defense, maritime cooperation, space, cybersecurity, digital technology, and tourism.
The visit coincides with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
