New Delhi, Feb 14 (IANS): Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday met his Filipino counterpart Teddy Locsin Jr. in Manila and held talks on a range of issues.

This is Jaishankar's first visit to the Philippines as the External Affairs Minister and it comes following the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting in Melbourne held over the weekend.

Taking to Twitter, the Minister said that he held "productive discussions" with Locsin Jr., as "we are entering a new phase of our partnership. Its basis is the mutuality of national security and development aspirations".

Prior to the meeting, the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs said on Twitter that the two officials "will discuss health and security, as well as other regional and global matters of mutual interest, especially as countries continue to engage post-Covid".

India and the Philippines formally established diplomatic relations on November 26, 1949, shortly after both countries gained independence (Philippines in 1946 and India in 1947).

The year 2019 marked the completion of 70 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations. President Ram Nath Kovind visited the Philippines to mark the milestone.

During the visit, Kovind met Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte followed by delegation level talks.