Finance
Periasamy Kumaran, Secretary (East) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), met with the Philippines Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Maria Theresa P. Lazaro, in Manila on Thursday to review the status of the two countries’ strategic alliance as well as India’s active support for ASEAN.
In a post on X, Lazaro stated, “A pleasure meeting Mr. Periasamy Kumaran, Secretary (East) of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, who is in Manila for the 28th ASEAN-India Senior Officials’ Meeting. We had a brief but productive exchange on the progress of Philippines-India strategic partnership, as well as on India’s active support for ASEAN.”
India and the Philippines formally established diplomatic ties in November 1949, shortly after their independence. According to the MEA, bilateral relations between two countries are amicable, based on shared principles and commonalities such as a vibrant democratic polity, pluralistic society, rule of law, an independent judiciary, a free press, and widespread usage of English.
Meanwhile, the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) in Manila continued to examine the Philippines’ Chairship goals and deliverables for advancing ASEAN Community-building, such as methods to boost ASEAN’s external relations and preparations for the 48th ASEAN Summit in May 2026. According to a statement released by ASEAN, the meeting, which comprised of plenary and retreat sessions, was attended by SOM Leaders of ASEAN Member States or their representatives, and Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Political-Security Community.
According to the official declaration, ASEAN was founded in Thailand in 1967 when the Founding Fathers of ASEAN: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand signed the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration). Brunei Darussalam joined ASEAN in January 1984, followed by Vietnam in July 1995, Laos and Myanmar in July 1997, Cambodia in April 1999, and Timor-Leste in October 2025, resulting in the current ASEAN membership of 11 countries.
Source: IANS
