India and Philippines have signed a key enabling pact that will pave the way for government-to-government deals on defence equipment including the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile in the future.
The ‘Implementing Arrangement’ concerning the procurement of defence material and equipment was signed by the two countries at the Camp Aguinaldo, headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Tuesday.
Indian Ambassador to Philippines, Shambu S. Kumaran, signed the pact on behalf of New Delhi.
Sources in the defence and security establishment told ThePrint that this does not mean that the much awaited BrahMos deal is happening anytime soon.
They explained that the agreement involves the procurement of defence equipment by the Philippines from India.
“This is sort of a foundational agreement for government-to-government contracts. This does not mean that a contract for BrahMos is being signed,” a source said.
The Straits Times quoted the Philippines Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who witnessed the signing ceremony, as saying, “We are buying the BrahMos missiles.”
Lorenzana said the agreement served as a guide for the Philippines and India on “policies and procedures in the defence procurement”.
It also served as a “legal framework for the procurement under the government-to-government modality,” he added.