Germany, Philippines agree to broaden defence cooperation deal

Pistorius is the first German defence minister to visit the Philippines and hopes to finalise the agreement as early as October

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German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and Philippine Defence Minister Gilberto Teodoro on Sunday in Manila. Photo: Reuters

Published: 5:49pm, 4 Aug 2024

The Philippines and Germany have agreed to deepen military cooperation, their defence ministers said on Sunday, as Manila pushes back after a series of confrontations with China.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro met in Manila and pledged to sign a defence cooperation agreement by the end of the year.

Teodoro said the agreement would focus on “mutual understanding regarding capabilities, training [and] exchange of information”.

There have been escalating confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels in the disputed South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

“We collaborate because we have a shared vision of respect for the United Nations Charter … and our desire to see a stable and peaceful Indo-Pacific,” Teodoro told a joint news conference with Pistorius in the Philippine capital.

They vowed to build “long-lasting relations” between their armed forces and flagged the possibility of Germany supplying military equipment to the Philippines.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., centre, met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in July, where the US pledged $500 million in military aid to the Philippines. Photo: AP

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