The BrahMos missile system has been described by Philippine Foreign Secretary Ma Theresa P Lazaro as a key pillar of India-Philippines defence ties.

She emphasised that the missile system represents an important element of the bilateral defence relationship, though she refrained from commenting on potential additional acquisitions or cooperation, noting that such matters fall under the Philippines’ Department of National Defence.

In her remarks, Lazaro stated that BrahMos is indeed an important aspect of India’s defence relations with the Philippines. When asked about possible future acquisitions, joint exercises, logistics cooperation, or defence industrial collaboration, she clarified that these questions should be directed to the Department of National Defense, underscoring the division of responsibilities within the Philippine government.

The Philippines has emerged as a significant defence partner for India in the Indo-Pacific region. The BrahMos missile deal has become a landmark element of the two countries’ expanding strategic and defence engagement. Defence cooperation is now considered one of the strongest pillars of bilateral relations.

A major milestone was reached on 19 April 2024 when India delivered the first batch of the BrahMos missile system to the Philippines, making it the first foreign nation to acquire this advanced weapon system.

Her comments came against the backdrop of growing India-Philippines cooperation in defence and maritime security, particularly in response to evolving security challenges in the Indo-Pacific.

The deployment of BrahMos has been seen as enhancing Manila’s deterrence posture, while also strengthening India’s role as a reliable defence partner in Southeast Asia.

The Foreign Secretary also commended India for organising a “very successful” BRICS Summit. She highlighted South-South cooperation as a key aspect of the grouping, praising the diversity of BRICS membership and India’s efforts in steering the organisation amid differing geopolitical perspectives. 

Lazaro described South-South cooperation as a very important element of the summit and noted that the expanded BRICS grouping was laudably seeking to address a wide range of geopolitical issues.

She further commended India for initiating and successfully organising the summit, which was hosted in New Delhi last weekend.

The 18th BRICS Summit brought together leaders and representatives of the expanded grouping to discuss issues of global governance, economic cooperation, development, and priorities of the Global South. India’s leadership in hosting the summit was acknowledged as a constructive step in strengthening multilateral cooperation.

The Philippines’ recognition of BrahMos as a cornerstone of its defence ties with India reflects the broader trajectory of Indo-Philippine relations, where defence and strategic cooperation are increasingly intertwined with wider regional and global engagements.

The remarks also underline the Philippines’ appreciation of India’s role in both bilateral defence cooperation and multilateral platforms such as BRICS.

ANI