President Marcos to represent Asean at BRICS Summit in India

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos departed for New Delhi, India on Friday to attend the 18th BRICS Summit, where he is set to represent the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and push for peaceful settlement of disputes under international law.

Marcos said his participation in the two-day summit comes at a critical time for the global economy, which he described as undergoing “profound changes” and pressure.

“We will engage the BRICS community, whose ranks include four of our fellow ASEAN member-states, on advancing our quest for peace, inclusive growth, regional resilience, sustainable development, food and energy security and a rules-based international order,” the President said in his recorded departure message.

“We have been asked to participate in the BRICS Summit at a time when the global economy is undergoing profound changes, even pressure. It is our conviction, however, that as a broader community of nations, it is imperative that we coalesce and cohere around issues that impact on us collectively,” he added.

BRICS, originally established by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has since expanded to include other major emerging economies. The group serves as a platform for cooperation on economic, political and development issues.

The summit opens today, under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” with discussions expected to focus on global economic uncertainties, digital public infrastructure, innovation and collective climate action.

“I will offer views on how partners can and should work in concert, if not together, to address these challenges, especially those that impact developing countries and emerging economies,” Marcos said.

“We will call for fairer global governance, stronger disaster preparedness, the responsible use of new technologies, climate action and the peaceful settlement of disputes under international law,” he added.

Meetings

On the sidelines of the summit, Marcos will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review the implementation of the Five-Year Plan of Action for 2025-2029 under the Philippines-India Strategic Partnership.

“Our discussions will cover defense and maritime cooperation, trade and investment, the proposed Preferential Trade Agreement, health and pharmaceuticals, digital cooperation, tourism, direct air connectivity and people-to-people ties,” Marcos said.

He said the meeting would also be an opportunity to renew Manila’s invitation for Modi to visit the Philippines for the ASEAN-India Summit and the East Asia Summit in November.

Marcos is also scheduled to meet Indian business leaders as the Philippines seeks to attract investments in key sectors.

“Business and the economy are also important pillars of our ties with India. While in New Delhi, I likewise look forward to engaging Indian companies and players on why the Philippines should be part of their growth story,” he said.

“They will have plenty of opportunities to consider in infrastructure, digitalization, IT, pharmaceuticals, transport and logistics and other sectors critical to our development,” he added.

Indian companies pledged $5.8 billion in investments covering technology, health, energy and infrastructure during Marcos’ visit to India in August 2025.