President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., accompanied by First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, departed for India at 7:50 p.m. on Friday to attend the 18th BRICS Summit. Representing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as its current chairman, the Chief Executive aims to advance the 11-nation group’s objectives regarding regional resilience, food and energy security, sustainable growth, peace and a rules-based global order.
In his departure statement, the President explained that the Philippines was asked to take part in the gathering as an “Outreach Country” to represent ASEAN.
Reflecting on the summit’s central theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” Marcos noted that the event comes at a crucial juncture as the international economy faces intense pressure and dramatic shifts.
Acknowledging that global and regional alliances frequently differ in their focus and priorities, he emphasized the necessity of collaboration.
“It is our conviction, however, that as a broader community of nations, it is imperative that we coalesce and cohere around issues that impact on us collectively,” Marcos said.
As the current head of the regional bloc, Marcos said he will elevate the “ASEAN Community’s perspectives on the issues of our time, guided by the priorities of our Chairship, peace and security anchors, prosperity corridors and people empowerment”.
He intends to present ASEAN’s core commitments to BRICS leaders, underscoring the Southeast Asian bloc’s dedication to strengthening ties through existing multilateral frameworks.
“I will offer views on how partners can and should work in concert, if not together, to address these challenges, especially those that impact developing countries and emerging economies,” he said.
Furthermore, Marcos plans to share lessons drawn from ASEAN’s historical commitment to strategic autonomy and open dialogue.
“We will call for fairer global governance, stronger disaster preparedness, the responsible use of new technologies, climate action, and the peaceful settlement of disputes under international law,” Marcos added.
Apart from attending the main summit sessions, the President is slated to hold a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two leaders will review ongoing developments under the Strategic Partnership established following Marcos’s visit to India in 2025, which marked 75 years of diplomatic relations.
The leaders plan to “pick up on our governments’ sustained exchange of perspectives on broader economic and strategic questions confronting our shared interests.”
“Prime Minister Modi and I will review the progress in the implementation of the Five-Year Plan of Action for 2025–2029 that underpins our Strategic Partnership,” Marcos noted.
The bilateral discussions will encompass a broad range of sectors, including trade and investment, defense and maritime security, health and pharmaceuticals, digital cooperation, tourism, direct flights, people-to-people exchanges and the proposed Preferential Trade Agreement.
Marcos also expressed his intention to reiterate his invitation for Modi to visit Manila later this year for the ASEAN-India Summit and the East Asia Summit.
Additionally, the Chief Executive is scheduled to meet with prominent Indian corporate leaders to pitch investment opportunities in the Philippines.
“They will have plenty of opportunities to consider in infrastructure, digitalization, IT, pharmaceuticals, transport and logistics, and other sectors critical to our development,” Marcos said.