THE Philippines and Germany have committed to signing a defence cooperation deal this year, vowing to stand for the international rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro committed to establishing long-term relations between their armed forces to expand training and bilateral exchanges, explore opportunities to expand bilateral armaments cooperation and engage in joint projects.
The two met in Manila yesterday during the first such visit by a German defence minister, as their countries marked 70 years of diplomatic relations.
Teodoro said the Philippines, seeking to modernise its military to boost external defence, would be “looking to engage Germany as a possible supplier of these capabilities”.
“These are in the command and control, anti-access aerial denial, maritime domain, aerial domain and in higher technologically capable equipment,” Teodoro told a press conference with Pistorius.
Manila and Berlin are deepening military ties as tensions have flared in recent months between China and the Philippines, which have traded accusations over run-ins in disputed areas of the South China Sea.
China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, including areas claimed as exclusive economic zones by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague said Beijing’s claims had no legal basis. China rejects that decision.
“This ruling remains valid, without any exceptions,” said Pistorius.
“It is our obligation to strengthen the maritime border and we are living up to it.” — Reuters
