BERLIN, Germany—The Philippines is seeking to expand their defense cooperation "beyond training" to cover cyber and maritime domains amid ongoing tensions in the West Philippine Sea, President Marcos said.

Marcos said this following his tete-a-tete with German Chancellor Olad Scholz at the Chancellery here in Berlin on Tuesday afternoon (German time).

In his remarks during their joint press statement, the President expressed appreciation for Germany's assistance to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and said the country is now ready to take it to the next level.

"I expressed the Philippine government’s openness to discussions on cooperation that goes beyond training and into new areas such as cyber and maritime domains," he said.

Germany has been providing training for the AFP personnel since 1974, making Germany the Philippines' second-oldest formal defense partner.

During their meeting, President Marcos said he expressed the country's appreciation for Germany’s continuous support for the capacity-building of the Philippine Coast Guard  (PCG). Before he arrived in Germany, a Joint Declaration of Intent on Strengthening Cooperation in the Maritime Sector between the two countries’ transport agencies was signed.

"I am heartened by Germany’s increased interest in enhancing maritime cooperation between our countries, and I welcome more initiatives to enrich this partnership," he said.

Marcos also thanked Scholz for Germany’s staunch support for international law, including the 1982  United  Nations  Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

"Our shared commitment to international law strengthens our partnership and creates a favorable atmosphere for working together on global issues," he said.

"I reiterated that the Philippines remains committed to addressing issues through dialogue and consultation, yet the Philippines, like any sovereign state, will continue to firmly defend its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction, in accordance with international law," he added.