The government of Germany has expressed its support for the relaunching of the Philippines-European Union (EU) free trade agreement negotiations as President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. welcomed on Thursday the European country’s new ambassador to the Philippines.
In presenting his credentials to President Marcos in Malacañang, Dr. Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke, Germany’s ambassador-designate to the Philippines, highlighted the importance of strong economic relations between the Philippines and Germany.
He cited the recent visit to the Philippines of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who announced the relaunching of the Philippines-EU free trade negotiations.
“That was… what we in Germany really pushed for. We pushed the information to do this and our business people here are very keen on really exploring new possibilities and new ideas and new business opportunities both ways, of course, not just for the German industry here but also for the Philippine industry in Germany,” Pfaffernoschke said, stressing the already strong ties between the Philippines and Germany.
“So, I think there is a real promising path that lies ahead. And as you said, people-to-people relations are already strong and they might become even stronger once we exchange even more skilled workers from the Philippines to Germany, also Germans coming to the Philippines. So strong ties we already do have, we might even foster in the years to come. And I think that is the basis for good relations,” he added.
For his part, President Marcos said that the trade and the relations that the two countries are fostering become very important in terms of global growth and economic stability.
Also, the presence of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Germany who have chosen to live and work there has proven to be an advantage for the Philippines as they can help forge a strong relationship with the European country.
“That provides a very good foundation for us to explore other things. So, I think the continuing development cooperation between our two countries is going to grow only more important in the near future even in the medium term,” President Marcos said.
“And I’m glad that I was able to welcome you simply to mark perhaps a new beginning in what we have been doing before between Germany and the Philippines. And I say a new beginning simply because an important aspect to this transformation of our economies is to realize that it is a different world post-pandemic and with (the armed conflict in) Ukraine,” he added.
The chief executive also emphasized that today, physical distance is no longer a barrier between different nations as a result of the advancement in technology and communication.
Aside from cooperating on trade and investment, the President and the German ambassador vowed to collaborate further on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
The Philippines and Germany established their diplomatic relations on October 8, 1954.
In 2022, Germany remained the Philippines’ 12th largest trading partner, 10th export market, and 15th import supplier (January-October).
The Philippines’ total trade with Germany reached US$4.7 billion last year, with US$2.8 billion in exports and US$1.9 billion in imports. It is also the country’s top trading partner in the EU.
Major German companies operating in the Philippines include Deutsche Bank (banking), Bosch (automotive after-market and power tools business), Siemens (information and communications), STEAG 210-megawatt hard-coal-fired power plant in Misamis Oriental, and Bayer Philippines Inc. PND
