President Kovind gifts goddess Tara statue to Philippine counterpart Duterte

President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday gifted a statue of goddess Tara to his Philippine counterpart Rodrigo Duterte, highlighting the ancient cultural connections between the two countries.

Kovind arrived in the Philippines on Thursday as part of his five-day state visit to the country.

In Hinduism and Buddhism, the goddess Tara is regarded as a form of 'shakti' (power).

"President Kovind gifted the statue of goddess Tara to President Durerte of Philippines. The gift highlights the ancient cultural connections between the two countries. The Golden Agusan Tara statue was discovered in the Philippines in the last century," the Rashtrapati Bhawan tweeted.

Earlier in the day, Kovind held wide-ranging talks with Duterte at his official residence, the Malacanan Palace.

During the talks, the two sides agreed to bolster defence and maritime security partnership and to make it a key pillar of bilateral cooperation. They also committed to work closely together to defeat and eliminate terrorism in all its forms.