New Delhi, February 13: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar is set to begin his three-day visit to the Philippines on Sunday with an aim to strengthen bilateral ties. Jaishankar will visit the Philippines from February 13 to 15, to discuss regional and international issues of mutual interest, said the Ministry of External Affairs in its official statement on Wednesday.

The visit comes at a time when India signed a deal worth USD 375 million to supply 290 km strike range BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines. Hyundai Row: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Discusses The Issue With South Korean Counterpart Chung Eui-yong.

Notably, this is Jaishankar's first visit to the Philippines as External Affairs Minister wherein he will hold talks with Teodoro L. Locsin Jr., Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines to review developments in bilateral relations.

In November 2020, the Joint Commission meeting on Bilateral Cooperation was co-chaired in virtual format by both sides. In addition to other meetings with the political leadership in the Philippines, EAM would interact with the Indian community in Manila during his visit.

The visit is expected to impart further momentum to bilateral relations with key partners in the Indo-Pacific, Australia, and the Philippines, which is also a leading member of ASEAN, said MEA.

Earlier, the CEO of the missile firm Atul D Rane said the deal with BrahMos was the first for India to supply a full major weapon system to a foreign country. "This is the first export deal that India has signed for a full major weapon system and this paves the way for many more to come forward," he said.

This visit comes after Jaishankar took part in the 4th Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting on Friday along with his counterparts from Japan, Australia and the United States.

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