India and the Philippines have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation against terrorism during the second meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism held in Manila.
The two-day meeting focused on the evolving regional and global terrorism landscape, with both sides discussing ways to enhance collaboration in intelligence sharing, law enforcement, judicial cooperation, capacity building, and combating extremist activities.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, both countries strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism. The Philippine side also reiterated solidarity with India in its fight against terrorism.
The discussions covered emerging security challenges, including the misuse of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes, online radicalisation, violent extremism, and terror financing. Officials highlighted the importance of timely information exchange and coordinated international efforts to address evolving threats.
The Indian delegation was led by Vinod Bahade, Joint Secretary for Counter Terrorism in the Ministry of External Affairs, while the Philippine delegation was headed by Marshall Louis M. Alferez from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Both countries emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation through multilateral platforms, including the United Nations, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG), and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
Indian officials also held separate meetings with senior representatives from the National Security Council and the Anti-Money Laundering Council of the Philippines during the visit.
The latest dialogue reflects the growing strategic and security partnership between India and the Philippines, particularly as both countries seek stronger regional cooperation in the Indo-Pacific amid rising security challenges.
The two sides agreed to hold the next Joint Working Group meeting in India on mutually convenient dates, further underlining their commitment to sustained collaboration against terrorism and transnational threats.
