New Delhi/Manila, Philippines: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar co-chaired the ASEAN-India Post-Ministerial Conference along with Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo in Manila, Philippines, reaffirming India’s commitment to strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with ASEAN.
During the meeting, Dr. Jaishankar appreciated the key role played by the Philippines as the country coordinator for advancing the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Highlighting the theme “Navigating Our Future, Together,” Dr. Jaishankar said it reflects the shared values of India and ASEAN, based on mutual trust, cooperation, and a common vision for development, peace, and stability across the Indo-Pacific region.
The External Affairs Minister noted that the global environment is becoming increasingly challenging, with critical areas such as supply chains, energy security, food security, health security, and maritime cooperation facing growing pressures.
He emphasised that no single country or grouping can address these challenges alone and stressed the importance of deeper cooperation to reduce risks, diversify partnerships, and build resilience.
Dr. Jaishankar highlighted that 2026 has been designated as the ‘ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation’, describing it as a timely opportunity to strengthen collaboration for a safer, more stable, and secure maritime future.
He underlined the broad India-ASEAN cooperation agenda covering key areas including:
- Trade and investment
- Mobility and talent exchange
- Technology, digital transformation and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Green growth and sustainability
- Connectivity and infrastructure cooperation
Dr. Jaishankar reiterated that ASEAN centrality remains a key principle of India’s Indo-Pacific vision, reflected through the alignment between the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).
The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of India and ASEAN towards strengthening regional cooperation, resilience, and a rules-based Indo-Pacific order.