Indian President Ram Nath Kovind renewed his country’s commitment to its partnership with the Philippines as the two countries marked the 70th year of bilateral relations.
In his remarks during a banquet hosted by President Duterte in Malacañang Friday night, Kovind described his visit to the Philippines as a “landmark” in both countries’ bilateral journey.
“I have undertaken this state visit to the Philippines to celebrate the 70th anniversary of our diplomatic relations and to yet again commit ourselves to the Philippines-India bilateral partnership,” he said.
The Indian leader credited the commonalities between India and the Philippines as the reason behind the friendly ties of the two Asian nations.
“Our relations are warm and friendly based as they are on our shared values and outlook. We are both democracies that believe in the sovereignty – sovereign equality of nations, and respect for and adherence to international law,” Kovind said.
“We are forward-looking partners committed to peace and prosperity for our peoples and for the world at large,” he added.
Kovind said that India is keen to test its civilizational links with the Philippines, expressing confidence about the existence of a “rich tapestry” of shared heritage waiting to be researched and documented.
“The discovery of the statue of Tara in Agusan and the commonality in our languages and art speak of vibrant cultural exchanges in the ancient past. And much to our delight, our contemporary cultural attributes, be it music or dance, karaoke, our Kathak, continue to bring our two peoples together,” he said.
Duterte agreed that the Philippines and India have a lot in common.
“The Philippines and India have a long history of contacts and friendship. Long before the Europeans appeared over the horizons, our ancestors had dealings with yours, mediated by the vast empires of the Majapahit and Srivijaya,” he said.
“Indian blood runs in the veins of over a million of our countrymen. Words of Sanskrit origin fill our lexicon. And the Indian influence persists in our arts and, perhaps, even in our world view,” he added.
Kovind said the Philippines is an important partner for India and expressed resolve to even bring the partnership of the two countries to another level. (Argyll Geducos)
