Taking bilateral ties to a new high, India and the Philippines on Friday signed four accords, including the first ever on defence cooperation, envisaging - among other things - exchange of Air Force planes, Navy ships and military instructors.
The agreements were inked in the presence of President A P J Abdul Kalam and his Filipino counterpart Gloria Arroyo at the Presidential Palace, a 400-year-old architectural marvel built during the Spanish colonial rule.
The Memoranda of Understanding on cooperation in the fields of defence, agriculture and tourism were signed by Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh from the Indian side.
With the Philippines looking at India as a major source of quality drugs at affordable prices, another accord on copperation in pharmaceuticals was signed.
The defence cooperation agreement also envisages exchange of military training expertise and information, defence technology cooperation and collaboration in other spheres of defence sector, according to an official statement.
The defence agreement would deepen naval and maritime cooperation between the two countries and give substance to their annual security dialogue.