Filipino foreign secretary Manalo on 4-day visit to India

NEW DEHLI Boosting bilateral cooperation in areas of maritime security, trade and investment, health and tourism will be high on agenda during Filipino Foreign Secretary Enrique A Manalo's four-day visit to India from Tuesday.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Manalo's visit will provide an opportunity to comprehensively review bilateral relations between India and Philippines and to explore ways to further deepen and strengthen them.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Manalo will co-chair the fifth meeting of India-Philippines joint commission on bilateral cooperation (JCBC) on June 29.

The secretary of foreign affairs of the Philippines is visiting India at the invitation of Jaishankar.

The MEA said both sides will review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including political, defence, security, maritime cooperation, trade and investment, health and tourism at the JCBC.

It said the two sides will also discuss regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest.

Secretary Manalo will also deliver the 42nd Sapru House lecture as a joint project under the MoU signed between the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) of Philippines and the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA).