PRAGUE, Czech Republic — Czech President Petr Pavel said the Czech Republic fully supports the Philippines when it comes to their entitlement over the West Philippine Sea, saying any disruption in the disputed waters would adversely affect Europe and the rest of the world.

Pavel said this following his meeting with President Marcos here at the Prague Castle on Thursday morning (Czech time).

In his remarks during their joint press conference, Pavel said the Czech Republic has a lot to offer the Philippines in terms of military equipment, particularly cybersecurity and the use and development of modern technology, and this could be the topic for future discussions.

“I believe both countries have a lot to offer and there is a lot of space or room for cooperation as to the South China Sea,” he said.

Pavel said the Czech Republic supports the Philippines on the issue of the South China Sea, emphasizing the need to respect international rules-based order especially since 60 percent of the world's trade passes through the South China Sea.

“We fully support the Philippines when it comes to their entitlement to free movement of goods because that’s a principle—not only we all respect but it also secures global and regional stability," he said.

"To us, South China Sea may seem to be far, far away but if you take into account the percentage or share of the world or global trade that passes through this area, any disruption on these routes would have an adverse impact on Europe, not only in the form of shortage of goods but also soaring prices, which is why we have to pay attention to this topic," he added.

For his part, President Marcos expressed hope that the Czech Republic would assist the Philippines when it comes to modernizing the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) amid ongoing tensions in the West Philippines.

"The Armed Forces of the Philippines is undergoing a modernization program. Under that modernization program will be a great deal of procurement that needs to be done to modernize our forces and to modernize our capabilities," he said.

"The Czech Republic has always been an important part of that development, of that evolution. And we are hoping that that would continue not only at its present level but at a higher level," he added.

President Marcos reiterated that the Philippines is consistent in its position in the South China Sea, saying while China's continued aggression is regrettable, the Philippines will continue to engage other stakeholders diplomatically.

"I underscored that the Philippine position on the South China Sea remains consistent, clear, and firmly anchored in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," he said.

"While it is unfortunate that there are persistent incidents of aggression and harassment in the South China Sea, we continue to engage all our neighbors and stakeholders through diplomacy and dialogue," he added.

Marcos said he thanked Pavel for the Czech Republic’s support as a like-minded partner in upholding peace, stability, and the rules-based international order.

President Marcos has questioned China's premise in asserting claims over the disputed South China Sea, saying nobody recognizes the so-called Ten-Dash Line.