Jaishankar meets Philippines President Marcos Jr., backs ASEAN chairship
Synopsis
EAM Jaishankar's Manila visit packed three major diplomatic events into two days — a bilateral with Foreign Secretary Lazaro, a call on President Marcos Jr., and participation in both the ASEAN-India Post-Ministerial Conference and a Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting. The regularity of Jaishankar's Philippines visits — 2022, 2024, 2026 — signals a deliberate, deepening India-Philippines axis in the Indo-Pacific.
Key Takeaways
Jaishankar called on Philippines President Ferdinand R.
Marcos Jr. in Manila on 23 July 2026 .
Jaishankar conveyed PM Narendra Modi's greetings and India's support for the Philippines' ASEAN chairship .
On 22 July , Jaishankar met Philippines Foreign Secretary Ma.
Lazaro , covering trade, defence, maritime cooperation, and Indo-Pacific developments.
Manila also hosted the ASEAN-India Post-Ministerial Conference and a Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting during the visit.
This is Jaishankar's third Philippines visit in four years — 2022, 2024, and 2026 — reflecting a pattern of sustained bilateral engagement.
Cooperation is being guided by the India-Philippines Plan of Action 2025–2029 .
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar called on Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in Manila on Thursday, 23 July 2026, conveying the greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and reaffirming India's support for the Philippines' chairship of ASEAN. The high-level meeting underscored the growing depth of the India-Philippines Strategic Partnership as both nations work to implement the India-Philippines Plan of Action 2025–2029.
Key Developments from Manila
Jaishankar, who is on an official visit to the Philippines to attend Foreign Minister-level meetings under the ASEAN framework, confirmed the meeting on X, writing: 'Honoured to call on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of the Philippines. Conveyed the greetings of PM Narendra Modi and India's support for a successful chairship of ASEAN.'
He added: 'India-Philippines cooperation under the aegis of our Strategic Partnership continues to diversify as we implement the India-Philippines Plan of Action 2025–2029.'
Jaishankar-Lazaro Bilateral Meeting
A day earlier, on Wednesday, 22 July 2026, Jaishankar met his Philippines counterpart, Foreign Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, in Manila. The two leaders discussed ways to advance the Strategic Partnership, with focus areas spanning trade and investment, education, defence and security, maritime cooperation, capacity building, and development cooperation.
Lazaro subsequently described the exchange as a 'productive discussion,' reaffirming both sides' commitment to deepening cooperation across financial technology, pharmaceuticals, defence, maritime security, and critical infrastructure.
Manila's Significance in India's Indo-Pacific Calculus
The visit's timing was notably dense with diplomacy. Manila also hosted the ASEAN-India Post-Ministerial Conference and a Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting on the same day — signalling India's intensifying engagement across multilateral frameworks in the Indo-Pacific.
Philippines Ambassador to India Josel F. Ignacio noted that Jaishankar has visited the Philippines every two years — in 2022, 2024, and now 2026 — calling the regularity 'appreciated' and a foundation for 'closer discussions on issues of mutual interest.'
What the Strategic Partnership Covers
The India-Philippines Strategic Partnership, formalised in recent years, spans an expanding range of sectors. The current Plan of Action runs through 2029 and includes commitments on maritime security — a particularly sensitive domain given the Philippines' ongoing tensions in the South China Sea. India's own advocacy for a rules-based Indo-Pacific order aligns closely with Manila's position, giving the partnership strategic coherence beyond bilateral trade.
What Comes Next
With the ASEAN framework meetings continuing in Manila, Jaishankar is expected to engage with other regional counterparts before concluding his visit. The back-to-back meetings — with the President, the Foreign Secretary, and within the Quad — suggest India is using this Manila trip to consolidate its Indo-Pacific positioning ahead of key multilateral decisions expected later in 2026.
Point of View
Now in its third cycle, reflects a deliberate Indian effort to anchor the Philippines as a frontline partner in its Indo-Pacific strategy. What mainstream coverage often underplays is the maritime security dimension: as the Philippines faces sustained pressure in the South China Sea, India's alignment on a rules-based order carries strategic weight that goes well beyond trade and education MOUs. The Quad meeting running parallel to ASEAN engagements in the same city on the same day is also worth noting — it signals India's comfort in layering multilateral frameworks rather than choosing between them. The real test of this partnership will be whether the Plan of Action 2025–2029 produces measurable outcomes in defence and maritime cooperation, or remains a diplomatic framework without operational depth.
NationPress
23 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did EAM Jaishankar visit the Philippines in July 2026?
Jaishankar visited Manila to attend Foreign Minister-level meetings under the ASEAN framework and to hold bilateral talks with Philippines counterparts. During the visit, he called on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and met Foreign Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro to advance the India-Philippines Strategic Partnership.
What did Jaishankar and Philippines President Marcos Jr. discuss?
Jaishankar conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's greetings and reaffirmed India's support for the Philippines' chairship of ASEAN. The two leaders also discussed the ongoing diversification of India-Philippines cooperation under the Strategic Partnership and the implementation of the Plan of Action 2025–2029.
What is the India-Philippines Plan of Action 2025–2029?
It is a bilateral roadmap guiding India-Philippines cooperation across sectors including trade and investment, education, defence and security, maritime cooperation, financial technology, pharmaceuticals, and critical infrastructure. It runs through 2029 and forms the operational framework of the India-Philippines Strategic Partnership.
What other diplomatic events took place in Manila during Jaishankar's visit?
Manila hosted both the ASEAN-India Post-Ministerial Conference and a Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting during Jaishankar's visit, making it one of the most diplomatically dense stops of India's recent regional engagement calendar.
How often has Jaishankar visited the Philippines?
Jaishankar has visited the Philippines every two years — in 2022, 2024, and 2026. Philippines Ambassador Josel F. Ignacio noted that this regularity is valued by Manila as it enables closer and more consistent discussions on issues of mutual interest.
