December 17, 2024 | 11:38am
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines and India agreed to deepen their maritime ties and explore potential coast guard and naval cooperation during their first government-level maritime dialogue on Monday, December 13.
The inaugural Track 1 Maritime Dialogue held in Manila identified areas of collaboration between the two countries from maritime security to ocean science, according to a statement by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
Both parties agreed to work on joint projects in maritime law enforcement, disaster response and environmental protection, while exploring partnerships between their navies and coast guards. They also agreed to share best practices, partner in maritime capacity-building initiatives and enhance information sharing.
The dialogue puts into motion earlier plans by both nations’ defense and foreign ministers to boost maritime cooperation. India is considered a non-traditional partner of the Philippines in terms of maritime issues but a “like-minded” country in terms of upholding the international rules-based order.
During the dialogue, the Philippines and India emphasized their “shared interest in a free, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.” They also agreed on the primacy of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) — under which the 2016 arbitral ruling invalidated China’s sweeping nine-dash line claim in the South China Sea.
“They underscored the importance of respecting the rights, and freedoms of all States, including of navigation and overflight, as well as strictly abiding by the geographical and substantive limits of maritime entitlements of coastal States,” the DFA said in a statement on Monday.
The Philippines and India also “reiterated their call for full and faithful compliance with the UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitration Award,” it added.
Both countries also pledged to increase their bilateral engagements. They “reached an understanding to look further into navy and coast guard cooperation, hydrography cooperation, and sister port arrangements, among others,” according to the DFA.
The two countries also agreed to strengthen coordination at the International Maritime Organization, particularly on protecting seafarers in crisis zones. The Philippines urged India to “consider proactive efforts to promote and protect the enjoyment of human rights by seafarers, and give due regard to the right of seafarers to refuse to sail in designated high-risk areas,” the DFA said.
Both nations also agreed to engage with states and maritime industry stakeholders on “timely and practical initiatives” such as enhanced awareness for seafarers navigating high-risk areas, sharing real-time threat intelligence, and development of safer routes.
The Philippine delegation was led by Marshall Louis Alferez, assistant secretary of the Maritime and Oceans Affairs Office, while India’s delegation was headed by Muanpuii Saiawi, joint secretary for Disarmament and International Security Affairs.
The Philippines’ and India’s first-ever government-level dialogue on maritime issues follows a series of diplomatic engagements between Manila and New Delhi since 2023 to strengthen maritime and defense cooperation.
In September 2023, both countries held their inaugural Track 2 dialogue where maritime experts and think tanks explored potential partnerships between the Philippines and India. During these expert-level talks, Indian Coast Guard Commandant Ravindra Kumar Shrivastava identified key areas for collaboration including the blue economy, offshore mining, renewable energy and maritime security.
The push for stronger maritime ties gained momentum in March 2024 when Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyan Jaishankar met in Manila. During their bilateral meetings, the two countries’ officials discussed expanding defense and maritime cooperation.
Both countries also held defense talks in September in Manila amid shared security challenges with China – India in the Himalayas and the Philippines in the South China Sea. The talks, which focused on service-to-service interactions and defense equipment collaboration, reflected both nations’ push to strengthen defense partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.
The maritime dialogue on Monday reflected India’s stronger stance on the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration, which was first announced during high-level bilateral talks in New Delhi last June 2023.
During the meeting between the two countries’ top diplomats, India moved beyond merely acknowledging the arbitral award to explicitly calling for its compliance, supporting Manila’s position against China’s expansive maritime claims.
The next round of maritime talks between the two countries will be held in India in 2025.
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