By IANS
New Delhi : India and the Philippines, an important member of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Friday expanded their political and economic ties by signing nine pacts in areas ranging from trade to energy and health to fighting terrorism.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines Alberto G. Romulo signed a joint declaration on a framework of bilateral cooperation, which seeks to establish a multi-faceted partnership between India and the Philippines, officials said.
The declaration was signed after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held talks with visiting Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on a wide range of bilateral and global issues, including the UN reforms, climate change and the festering human rights crisis in Myanmar.
India has called for a probe into the use of violence to quell pro-democracy protests in Myanmar and has supported a UN call for the release of pro-democracy icon and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
Both Manmohan Singh and Arroyo stressed on the need for the junta to push broad-based and inclusive political reforms in Myanmar, official sources said.
The two sides also inked a joint declaration to combat international terrorism, envisaging information sharing, cooperation amongst law enforcing agencies, and in capacity building, and preventing and suppressing financing of terrorist acts.
Three more agreements on the establishment of a joint commission, visa-free travel for holders of official and diplomatic passports of both countries and cooperation between training institutes for diplomats of the two countries were signed by Mukherjee and Romulo.
A memorandum of understanding on enhanced cooperation in the field of renewable energy was signed by Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Vilas Muttemwar and the Philippines Secretary of Energy Angelo T. Reyes.
Agreements were also signed for utilization of a $15-million credit line between the government of the Philippines and the Exim Bank of India, and one between the State Trading Corporation of India and the Philippines International Trading Corporation.
The two countries also signed a pact on cooperation in the field of health and medicine, since low-cost but good quality Indian medicines are in great demand in the Philippines.