External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar met Philippines Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro in New York on Monday (Indian time) ahead of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), with discussions focused on strengthening bilateral ties and regional cooperation.

“Pleased to meet Secretary of Foreign Affairs Theresa Lazaro of Philippines at the start of UNGA 80 in New York. We followed up on the recent State Visit of President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr to India. Also discussed our cooperation in the UN and the Indo-Pacific region,” Jaishankar posted on X.

Lazaro, in her remarks on X, said the meeting reaffirmed both countries’ commitment as strategic partners to expand cooperation in political, defence, security, and maritime domains.

The engagement comes shortly after Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s five-day state visit to India in August, where key agreements were signed to deepen defence, economic, and cultural ties.

During that visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed India-Philippines relations as a partnership “by choice and destiny,” noting their shared values across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. He also highlighted the centuries-old cultural links between the two nations, citing the Ramayana-inspired Maharadia Lawana from the Philippines as living proof of historic connections.

President Marcos Jr. meanwhile stressed the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific and expressed satisfaction with India’s role in the Philippines’ defence modernisation. He pointed to the BrahMos missile project as a symbol of growing strategic cooperation.

The latest Jaishankar–Lazaro meeting underscores the momentum in India–Philippines ties, with both sides aligning on global governance, regional security, and maritime partnerships.