Germany has expressed its support for the relaunching of the Philippines-European Union (EU) free trade agreement negotiations.
German Ambassador Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke made the statement when he presented his credentials to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Aug. 17.
He cited the recent visit to the Philippines of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who announced the relaunching of the Philippines-EU free trade negotiations.
“That was… what we in Germany really pushed for. We pushed the information to do this and our business people here are very keen on really exploring new possibilities and new ideas and new business opportunities both ways, of course, not just for the German industry here but also for the Philippine industry in Germany,” Pfaffernoschke said.
“So, I think there is a real promising path that lies ahead. And as you said, people-to-people relations are already strong and they might become even stronger once we exchange even more skilled workers from the Philippines to Germany, also Germans coming to the Philippines. So strong ties we already do have, we might even foster in the years to come. And I think that is the basis for good relations,” he added.
Marcos also expressed belief that the ties between the Philippines and Germany are promising, saying the two countries must strengthen their relations on trade, diplomacy and politics and people-to-people cooperation.
He added that the presence of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Germany has proven to be an advantage for the Philippines as they can help forge a strong relationship with the European country.
“That provides a very good foundation for us to explore other things. So, I think the continuing development cooperation between our two countries is going to grow only more important in the near future, even in the medium term,” the President said.
Aside from cooperating on trade and investment, the President and the German Ambassador vowed to collaborate further on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
The Philippines and Germany established their diplomatic relations on October 8, 1954.
In 2022, Germany remained the Philippines’ 12th largest trading partner, 10th export market, and 15th import supplier (January-October).
The Philippines’ total trade with Germany reached US$4.7 billion last year, with US$2.8 billion in exports and US$1.9 billion in imports. It is also the country’s top trading partner in the EU.