During the ASEAN-India Summit held alongside the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. invited India to share its expertise in providing affordable and high-quality medicines. He highlighted India’s strengths as a global pharmaceutical leader and expressed interest in collaboration on vaccine production and distribution to support ASEAN’s Vaccine Security and Self-Reliance initiative.
President Marcos thanked India for its ongoing support in areas such as Traditional and Complementary Medicine, Cancer Management, and Research and Development. Additionally, he endorsed the ongoing review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA), aiming to simplify and enhance trade facilitation for businesses, including MSMEs.
Marcos also emphasized the importance of advancing digital cooperation and technical education through ASEAN-India partnerships, noting the Philippines’ commitment to strengthening ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations, building on 75 years of bilateral ties with India.