PH, Germany eye conclusion of broader defense agreement

MANILA – The Philippines and Germany have committed to concluding a broader defense cooperation arrangement, according to their top defense officials.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and German Federal Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius met in Manila Sunday, in line with the 70th anniversary of Philippines-Germany diplomatic relations.

The top defense officials "expressed their unwavering commitment to the revitalization of Philippines-Germany defense relations," according to a joint statement released to the media after the meeting.

Germany is one of the Philippines' oldest formal defense partners through the 1974 Administrative Agreement concerning the training of Armed Forces of the Philippines officers in Germany.

Teodoro and Pistorius committed to conclude a broader Arrangement on Defense Cooperation, which aims to expand the scope of cooperation into new areas.

"To this end, the Ministers [Teodoro and Pistorius] are committed to establish long-term relations between the armed forces and specifically to expand training cooperation and bilateral exchanges," the statement read.

"The Ministers, moreover, intend to explore opportunities to further expand the bilateral armaments cooperation and to engage in joint projects," it added.

Trends in the security environment and regional issues in the Indo-Pacific and Eastern Europe were also discussed, with both officials emphasizing the importance of "advocating for principled and sustainable peace that is firmly anchored on international law."

"The Ministers strongly opposed any unilateral aempt to advance expansive claims, especially through force or coercion," the joint statement read.

The defense officials expressed commitment to freedom of navigation, overflight, and other peaceful uses of the seas consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and reaffirmed that the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea is final and legally binding.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that China's claim of historic rights to resources in the South China Sea had no basis in law.

The decision upheld the Philippines' sovereign rights and jurisdiction including areas within its exclusive economic zone.

China, however, refuses to acknowledge the ruling and continues its expansion and aggressive actions in the disputed waters.

The Philippine side expressed appreciation for Germany's steadfast support for international law.

Both defense officials also advocated for peace in Ukraine and reiterated the call to continue diplomatic efforts.

Likewise, the officials affirmed the importance of upholding the unity and centrality of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a "uniquely inclusive vehicle that fosters strategic trust and mutual understanding."

The Philippine side welcomed Germany's application to participate as an observer in the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus Experts' Working Groups.

"The Ministers highlighted the importance of defense industrial resilience and reaffirmed their shared commitment to contributing to the implementation of the "Statement of Principles for Indo-Pacific Defense Industrial Base Collaboration" of like-minded European and Indo-Pacific partners," the joint statement said.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. visited Germany in March and met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz where they agreed to expand defense cooperation, particularly in the cyber and maritime domains. (PNA)