Philippines, India to cooperate on maritime security efforts

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Malacañang said on Wednesday that the Philippines and India agreed to cooperate on maritime security, a collaboration particularly important for Manila's vast seafaring workforce.

In a meeting with Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at Malacañan on Tuesday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emphasized the need for stronger collaboration between the Philippines and India amid security concerns in shipping routes such as the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Indian Ocean.

According to the government, Filipino seafarers comprise a quarter of sea-based workers worldwide, the highest from any country.

'It really is at a crisis point of shipping. And maybe we can find something that we can do together to ease the situation at least a little bit until it becomes-the conflict becomes less heated,' Marcos said.

He noted that although the Philippines and India are non-traditional partners in the area of maritime security, Marcos said 'it serves a purpose for us to start thinking about that, because the world is like that already, very closely connected.'

Jaishankar agreed with Marcos, saying that the two countries could explore areas for deeper collaboration, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).

Marcos extended the country's appreciation to the Indian Navy for rescuing Filipino seafarers aboard the bulk carrier True Confidence, which was attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels early this month. Two Filipino seafarers were among those killed in the missile attack.

The chief executive also expressed appreciation for India's support in upholding Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.

Jaishankar said that India is 'very resolute' in its position on the South China Sea and recognized the 2016 arbitral award ruling that invalidated China's expansive claims.