On Thursday, May 15, 2025, the Philippines’ Department of National Defense announced the signing of a defense cooperation agreement with Germany to enhance joint operations in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Philippine Department of National Defense stated that on Wednesday, Philippine Defense Minister Gilberto Teodoro and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius signed the defense cooperation agreement in Berlin. The agreement includes expanding cooperation in areas such as cybersecurity, defense capabilities and logistics, as well as United Nations peacekeeping operations.
The agreement was reached during Pistorius’s visit to Manila last year. At that time, both he and Teodoro pledged to strengthen long-term cooperation between their two countries’ armed forces.
Following the signing of the agreement, the Philippine Department of National Defense announced that the defense ministers of both countries will convene the third Philippines-Germany High-Level Security and Defense Talks to outline joint actions to be held next year.
As tensions rise with China over territorial disputes in the South China Sea, the Philippines is actively expanding its international defense alliances.
Recently, the Philippines signed a defense agreement with New Zealand to enhance military cooperation. A similar agreement with Canada is also expected to be signed soon.
Furthermore, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has agreed to negotiate a Visiting Forces Agreement with France.
In addition, the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) with Japan was approved in December last year.
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, overlapping with territorial claims of countries including Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that Beijing’s claims had no legal basis. However, China has consistently refused to accept this ruling.
In Manila last August, Pistorius stated that the ruling “remains valid with no exceptions.”
In a rare move in September last year, two German warships crossed the Indian Ocean-Pacific Ocean region to signify Berlin’s commitment to freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific.
Currently, the Philippines is campaigning for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. Teodoro stated that the Philippines is prepared to play a greater proactive role in addressing global security issues.
(This article referenced reports from Reuters)