Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will spend the Diwali with military personnel at the strategically important tri-service command in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Official sources said Sitharaman will be travelling to Philippines on October 24 and 25, during which she will hold extensive talks with senior leaders of the country to explore ways to further deepen military cooperation, particularly in the maritime sphere.
It will be her first foreign visit as Defence Minister.
The sources said Sitharaman will travel to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on October 18 and celebrate the festival of light with the tri-service personnel there on October 19.
During the visit, the minister is also expected to review operational preparedness of the country's only tri-service command.
