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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider German Defense Minister makes 'historic first' visit in PH

German Defense Minister makes 'historic first' visit in PH

Published Aug 4, 2024 05:54 am

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Manila for a “historic first” visit to discuss defense and security ties and underscore the strength of the two countries’ relationship.

Pistorius_Germany.jpg
 German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (Photo from German Ambassador Andreas Pffafernoschke via X)

 

German Ambassador to the Philippines Andreas Pffafernoschke shared on X (formerly Twitter) the minister’s arrival in Manila, the last stop in his Indo-Pacific trip.
 

“Welcome, (German) Federal Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, to the (Philippines). The historic first ever visit of a German defence minister underlines the strength of our relationship,” the envoy wrote.
 

In a previous post, the ambassador expressed excitement about the defense chief’s visit to the Philippines this weekend.
 

“His #IndoPacific mission underlines (Germany’s) commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. This visit will further strengthen (Germany-Philippines) partnership in security cooperation. Mabuhay, Minister Pistorius!,” he added.
 

Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. also met with Pistorius at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati City.
 

The two officials will explore opportunities to further enhance the two countries’ bilateral cooperation.
 

The Philippines and Germany, which are celebrating 70 years of diplomatic relations, also plan to establish long-term relations between their military forces expand training and bilateral exchanges.
 

Pistorius earlier visited U.S. Indo-Pacific Command at Camp H.M. Smith in Hawaii.
 

The visits to a US military camp and the Philippines came amid a series of tense run-ins between the Philippine and China coast guards in the disputed West Philippine Sea.
 

China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, including areas claimed as exclusive economic zones (EEZ) by the Philippines Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia.
 

But in 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague ruled that Beijing's claims had no legal basis. China has repeatedly rejected the ruling.

Related Tags

Indo Pacific Region Germany Boris Pistorius
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