PH, Germany eye defense pact by year-end

The Philippines and Germany aim to finalize a comprehensive defense cooperation agreement by the end of the year.

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and German Federal Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius met in Manila.

Pistorius paid a courtesy call on President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., stating that a draft agreement was sent weeks ago and they can continue working on it.

Both countries are committed to revitalizing their defense relations, which have a history dating back to a 1974 agreement facilitating training for Filipino military officers in Germany.

The proposed broader arrangement will extend cooperation into new areas, including increased training exchanges, joint projects, and armaments collaboration between their armed forces.

Both nations also expressed support for a rules-based international order, emphasizing that maintaining security leads to stability in the Indo-Pacific and Eastern Europe.