MANILA, Philippines—India is ready to help boost the Philippines’ defenses and make it a ‘strong and resilient’ nation in the Indo-Pacific region.
India’s ambassador to the Philippines Shambhu Kumaran on Wednesday (March 10) confirmed a Hindustan Times report in late 2020 that his country had offered a $100 million soft loan for Philippine defense needs.
“$100 million is an indicative amount. We could look at larger amount in case the Philippines is looking at platforms from India,” the ambassador said in an interview with ABS CBN News Channel.
He did not explicitly say, however, if the loan was related to the Philippines’ planned acquisition of B…
Keep on reading: India ready to back PH in boosting defense, says envoy