The historic joint patrol begins as Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr travels to India for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi
The Philippines has heightened defence cooperation with a range of allies over the past year after a series of clashes in the contested waterway. Beijing claims nearly the entirety of the South China Sea despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.
India’s naval vessels arrived in Manila for a port visit late last week. The patrol “started yesterday afternoon, then it’s ongoing up to this moment … the activity at the moment is replenishment at sea”, Lieutenant Colonel John Paul Salgado said.
“The visit of the Indian naval ships to the Philippines is a powerful testament to the enduring friendship and growing maritime cooperation between the two countries.” Indian ambassador to the Philippines Shri Harsh Kumar Jain said at a reception on Friday on board the INS Shakti fleet tanker, according to Naval News.
“It also symbolises our shared commitment to the freedom of navigation and a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.”
