External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar concluded his three-day visit to the Philippines today. This was his first visit to the country as External Affairs Minister.<br />'' <br />'' During the visit, Dr Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with his counterpart Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. The two Ministers reviewed developments in bilateral relations since the meeting of the Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation that they co-chaired in a virtual format in November 2020.<br />'' <br />'' The Ministers agreed to further work towards strengthening engagement in counter-terrorism and defence and maritime security, covering defence capabilities as well as military training and capacity building.<br />'' <br />'' The Ministers also noted with satisfaction recent initiatives to step up cooperation in emerging areas such as fintech, blue economy, renewable energy, space, cyber security and traditional medicine.<br />'' <br />'' Dr Jaishankar also sought the attention of the Philippine government to facilitate the early return of Indian medical students to the Philippines.<br />'' <br />'' Both Ministers agreed to coordinate closely at multilateral fora and reaffirmed their strong commitment to a multifaceted partnership that would facilitate the developmental aspirations and shared priorities of the two democracies in Indo-Pacific region.<br />'' <br />'' Dr Jaishankar also interacted with a cross-section of the Indian Community in Manila.