President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday departed Manila to take part in the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India this weekend.
The President’s visit to India from September 12 to 13 is upon the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He will represent the Association of Southeast Asian Nations community in the BRICS Summit in the Philippines’ capacity as chair.
“In this role, I will carry ASEAN’s voice to the summit and help amplify our community’s perspectives on the issues of our time, guided by the priorities of our chairship, peace and security anchors, prosperity corridors, and people empowerment,” Marcos said in his departure speech.
He said he will “engage the BRICS community, whose ranks include four of our fellow ASEAN member-states, on advancing our quest for peace, inclusive growth, regional resilience, sustainable development, food and energy security, and a rules-based international order.”
Marcos will present the ASEAN’s priorities to BRICS members during the summit’s open session on Sunday, September 13.
“We will call for fairer global governance, stronger disaster preparedness, the responsible use of new technologies, climate action, and the peaceful settlement of disputes under international law. We will bring lessons from ASEAN’s track record and long-standing commitment to open and inclusive dialogue, while preserving strategic autonomy,” the President said.
He will also have a bilateral meeting with Modi while in India, where they will track their progress in the Philippines-India Strategic Partnership and the implementation of the Five-Year Plan of Action for 2025-2029.
“Our discussions will cover defense and maritime cooperation, trade and investment, the proposed Preferential Trade Agreement, health and pharmaceuticals, digital cooperation, tourism, direct air connectivity, and people-to-people ties,” Marcos said.
He will also invite Modi to visit the Philippines for the ASEAN-India Summit and the East Asia Summit in November.
“We thus embark for India determined to continue the task of translating potential to action,
and action into gains—gains for greater economic security for the Filipino people, for ASEAN and its external partnerships, and for fostering broader practical cooperation among players, even of differing persuasions, to support peace, security, and shared prosperity,” the President said.