Marcos talks defense, economy with German Chancellor
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr., on Thursday, spoke on the phone with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The two leaders tackled the further exploration of matters related to defense, economy, and jobs creation.
Screengrab from RTVM
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday spoke on the phone with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
This is the first time Marcos spoke with the German leader, who assumed his government's top post in May.
The two leaders tackled the further exploration of matters related to defense, economy, and jobs.
"We talked about strengthening our defense and economic cooperation, working together on regional issues, and creating more opportunities for our people," Marcos said in a social media post.
Marcos also thanked Merz for his invitation to visit Germany in the near future.
The President last visited Germany in 2024 upon the invitation of then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz as Manila and Berlin commemorated 70 years of diplomatic relations.
Earlier this year, the two countries signed a defense pact following the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2024.
This agreement builds upon the 1974 Administrative Agreement on the Training of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) personnel in Germany, one of the Philippines’ longest-running defense cooperation frameworks with a foreign nation.