Three Indian Navy ships, INS Delhi, INS Shakti and INS Kiltan, have completed their visit to Manila, Philippines as part of the deployment of the Indian Navy's Eastern Fleet to the South China Sea.
“The visit demonstrates India’s strong ties with the Philippines and its commitment to further deepening the bilateral partnership,” the Indian Ministry of Defense said in a press release.
During the visit, the two navies jointly participated in a number of professional interaction activities, including Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE), sports exchanges, cross-deck visits, cultural exchanges and community outreach programs.
On this occasion, Rear Admiral Rajesh Dhankhar - Commander of the Eastern Fleet, and the commanding officers of the three warships had an interaction with Rear Admiral Renato David - Commander of the Philippine Fleet (CPF) and Vice Admiral Rolando Lizor Punzalan Jr - Deputy Commander of Operations of the Philippine Coast Guard.
In addition, Rear Admiral Rajesh Dhankhar also had a broad discussion with Philippine Navy Vice Admiral Toribio Dulinayan Adaci JT on the path of cooperation, issues of mutual concern and the current security situation in the region...
According to the Indian Ministry of Defense, the visit provided an opportunity to discuss enhancing naval cooperation and interoperability between the Indian and Philippine navies.
The port call is a testament to the strong diplomatic and defence ties between India and the Philippines. It is a demonstration of India’s commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the region in line with the Government of India’s “Act East” and SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) policies.