New Delhi, Aug. 5 -- The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, received Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., President of the Republic of the Philippines, at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday. She also hosted a banquet in his honour.

According to a release from the President's Secretariat, welcoming President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. on his first State visit to India, the President said that India and the Philippines share a longstanding friendship which is based on civilizational contacts, historical ties, and common values.

The President was happy to note that our wide-ranging cooperation encompasses sustained high-level engagement, flourishing trade and commerce, robust defence and security cooperation, including in the maritime domain, d...