President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Tuesday described his bilateral talks with Indian President Droupadi Murmu as one of the “most productive and constructive” visits he has ever undertaken, expressing optimism about stronger ties and deeper cooperation between the Philippines and India.
Speaking after their meeting at Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Marcos thanked President Murmu for the warm and “elegant” welcome extended to him and his delegation, calling it a testament to the two countries’ shared desire to strengthen relations.
“Like my father before me, I will always cherish this state visit as living proof of our shared desire to draw closer to each other,” President Marcos said.
“I am much inspired by the meetings we held today and look forward to bringing home the gains from our engagements,” he added.
While noting the brevity of his visit, he said the discussions exceeded expectations and opened new avenues for cooperation in key sectors.
“We did not expect to cover much ground because of the limited time we had here. But I am happy to report that that was certainly not the case,” President Marcos said.
“We have discovered a multitude of possibilities and areas of potential, and we are going to work very hard together with our counterparts in the Indian government to bring all of these to fruition,” he added.
The Philippine leader emphasized the enduring closeness between the two nations and expressed confidence that the outcomes of his state visit would lead to tangible benefits for both Filipino and Indian citizens.
The state visit comes amid the formal launch of a strategic partnership between the Philippines and India, which covers expanded defense cooperation, economic initiatives, and cultural exchanges.
