Germany and the Philippines said Sunday they are working on a defense cooperation agreement, to be signed later this year, that would expand training between their armed forces and weapons cooperation.
The Philippines has been pushing to bolster its external defenses amid escalating tensions with China in the disputed South China Sea, and has signed defense cooperation agreements with other countries.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who was visiting Manila, and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said they “strongly opposed any unilateral attempt to make expansive claims, especially through force or coercion”, in amid security challenges in Asia and the Pacific, and in Europe.
“Recognizing the wide range of opportunities to improve bilateral defense relations in light of the security challenges facing both countries, the ministers committed to concluding a broader agreement on defense cooperation,” the ministers said in a joint statement .
“To this end, the ministers are committed to establishing long-term relations between the armed forces and, specifically, to expanding training cooperation and bilateral exchanges,” the statement added.
“Furthermore, the ministers intend to explore opportunities to further expand bilateral armaments cooperation and participate in joint projects.”
Pistorious said the defense cooperation agreement would be signed later this year, “perhaps as early as October.”
While stressing that the enhanced cooperation was not aimed at a specific country amid the Philippines’ dispute with China over the South China Sea, Pistorius said at a press conference: “All countries should be able to enjoy freedom of navigation, regardless of economic strength or geographic size. This is what we defend together with our partners.”
