MANILA – Germany remains committed to upholding the international rules-based order, as two of its navy ships docked recently for a port call in Manila, in line with the Indo-Pacific Deployment 2024 (IPD 24).
This is the first time German navy ships visited the country after 20 years, German Ambassador Andreas Pfaffernoschke said in his opinion piece published in the Philippine Star.
“We are expecting the frigate Baden-Württemberg and the replenishment ship Frankfurt am Main as part of the Indo-Pacific Deployment 2024 (IPD 24). Both ships have left Germany back in May 2024,” Ambassador Pfaffernoschke mentioned.
This visit is not only a testament to the enhanced defense cooperation between Germany and the Philippines, but also underscores how politically significant the Indo-Pacific region has become for Germany, Pfaffernoschke added.
(Photo courtesy of German Embassy Manila)
According to Pfaffernoschke, the IPD is the German Navy’s “most important endeavor of defense diplomacy in 2024”, pushing for close and confidence-building cooperation with strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific region, including the Philippines.
The German ambassador also expressed utmost concern regarding multiple incidents and “flaring-up” of conflicts all over the world, including the constant challenges on the international rules-based order in the South China Sea, particularly the “worrying number of incidents between China and [the] Philippines in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), on sea and in the air,” Pfaffernoschke added.
Pfaffernoschke reiterated the legal issues underlying the disputes in the EEZ of the Philippines “have been finally resolved”, citing the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 2016 as legally binding on all parties involved.
“Germany stands with the Philippines. Accepting this arbitral award and respecting UNCLOS by all parties concerned is essential for lasting peace and stability in the region,” Pfaffernoschke emphasized.
Meanwhile, the German ships will conduct a passing exercise together with the Philippine Navy with the aim of building and strengthening long-lasting relations between the German and Philippine armed forces, the German Embassy confirmed.
(Photo courtesy of German Embassy Manila)
Pfaffernoschke also mentioned that both countries are committed to signing a defense cooperation arrangement this year, after German Defense Minister Boris Pistorious visited Manila and met with Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. last August.
