Manila, Sep 21 (IANS): As part of the Indian Navy’s operational deployment, Indian Naval Ships Sahyadri and Kulish reached Subic Bay port in the Philippines to participate in the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus Joint Cooperation Activity (JCA).
This visit is in line with the Indian government’s Act East Policy and the vision of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions).
According to the Ministry of Defence, the ships arrived at the port on Sunday, with their participation underscoring India’s continued commitment to multilateral maritime cooperation and constructive engagement with regional partners.
The ADMM-Plus JCA brings together maritime forces from ASEAN Member States and eight Plus countries for professional and operational engagements aimed at enhancing interoperability, fostering mutual understanding and strengthening cooperation in the maritime domain.
The deployment of the Indian Naval ships will provide opportunities for the Indian Navy to interact with participating maritime forces through professional and operational engagements, contributing to greater understanding of shared maritime challenges, the Defence Ministry stated.
“The port call also reflects the growing maritime engagement between India and the Philippines. Building upon recent bilateral engagements and the establishment of the India–Philippines Strategic Partnership in August 2025, the deployment provides an opportunity to further strengthen professional linkages and maritime cooperation between the two countries,” it noted.
Earlier, on September 13, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. held a meeting on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit and discussed ways to further strengthen engagement between India and ASEAN.
During the meeting, the two leaders reviewed the growing momentum in the India-Philippines Strategic Partnership.
“The leaders expressed satisfaction at the progress made in bilateral cooperation across all areas and agreed to further deepen and expand collaboration in the fields of defence and security, trade and investment, space, railway infrastructure, fintech, education, tourism, science and technology, innovation and people-to-people ties,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) mentioned in a statement.
“Both leaders agreed to further advance bilateral relations under the aegis of the Strategic Partnership established between the two countries in August 2025 during the State Visit of President Marcos to India,” the MEA added.
PM Modi welcomed the Philippines’ participation in the BRICS Summit as the current ASEAN chair. He also welcomed the Philippines’ decision to join the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, the MEA statement added.
