PH, India sign 3 TORs, boost defense ties

MANILA, August 8 ------ The Philippines and India's defense ties have been strengthened with the signing of three Terms of Reference (TORs) eyeing closer cooperation between the two nations' major armed services, the Department of National Defense (DND) said.

In a statement, DND spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong said these TORs were signed by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday in New Delhi. Teodoro was part of the delegation accompanying President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on his official visit to India scheduled from Aug. 5 to 8. "Among the significant outcomes of the visit was the signing of three TORs, covering each of the major service branches of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Indian Armed Forces," Andolong said.

These are the TOR between the Indian Air Force and the Philippine Air Force on Air Staff Talks; TOR between the Indian Army and the Philippine Army on Army-to-Army Staff Talks; and TOR between the Indian Navy and the Philippine Navy on Navy-to-Navy Staff Talks. Andolong said the TORs "serve as frameworks for establishing the respective working groups of the AFP major services with their Indian counterparts, facilitating structured and recurring staff-level talks."

The working groups will be instrumental in advancing cooperation in areas such as military education and joint training, capability development, logistics, maritime domain awareness, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response. "President Marcos also held high-level discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where both leaders expressed their shared commitment to upholding a rules-based international order, promoting regional peace and stability, and pursuing closer cooperation in defense, trade, technology, energy, and education," Andolong said.

The DND spokesperson added that Marcos' visit to India highlights the Philippines’ strategic direction in cultivating robust bilateral defense relationships with like-minded partners and reflects the country's continued engagement in shaping a secure, stable, and resilient Indo-Pacific.

Source: pna.gov.ph