New Delhi [India], August 5 (ANI): President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday during his maiden State Visit to India. He was received by President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Ministry of External Affairs stated that Marcos Jr was presented with a Guard of Honour as part of the ceremonial welcome.

In a post on X, the MEA said, 'A special welcome for a special partner! President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr of the Philippines on his maiden State Visit to India was welcomed by Guard of Honour & ceremonial welcome. Warmly greeted by President Droupadi Murmu and PM Narendra Modi at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan.'

https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1952590276003876940

Rashtrapati Bhavan also posted on X, stating, 'President Droupadi Murmu accorded a ceremonial welcome to H.E. Mr Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., President of the Republic of the Philippines at Rashtrapati Bhavan.'

https://x.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/1952596681859436826

https://x.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/1952573853558845450

Addressing the media at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Marcos Jr said the world now refers to what was once the Asia Pacific Region as the Indo-Pacific Region.

'Indo Pacific is the correct evolution of Asia Pacific,' the visiting Philippines President said while addressing reporters at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhawan in the national capital today.

Marcos said that this is a reaffirmation of the alliance between Indian and the Philippines.

'I think it is a reaffirmation of the alliance and the partnership that we are strengthening. What used to be what where we used to refer to the Asia Pacific region we now refer to as the Indo Pacific region, which is I think a correct evolution of that understanding because of the global nature of all of politics and of all of trade and all of the economy. And to build upon what we already have had but to certainly to explore the many opportunities that have arisen in the past few years because of the new technologies and the changing state of the global economy and the geopolitical the geopolitics around us now,' he said. (ANI)