BERLIN- Inihayag ng Germany ang “increased interest” sa mas maigting na maritime cooperation sa Pilipinas, ayon kay Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. nitong Martes.
Sa joint press conference kasama si German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, sinabi ni Marcos na tinanggap niya ang mga inisyatiba ukol dito at binanggit ang suporta ng Germany para sa Philippine Coast Guard.
Ani Marcos, nilagdaan ang Joint Declaration of Intent on Strengthening Cooperation in the Maritime Sector sa pagitan ng transport agencies ng dalawang bansa sa kanyang working visit.
“I am heartened by Germany’s increased interest in enhancing maritime cooperation between our countries, and I welcome more initiatives to enrich this partnership,” ani Marcos.
Ayon kay Marcos, mula 1974 ay sinasanay na ng Germany ang mga tauhan ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), “making Germany the second oldest formal defense partner of the Philippines.”
“I expressed the Philippine government’s openness to discussions on cooperation that goes beyond training and into new areas such as cyber and maritime domains,” wika ng Pangulo.
Nanindigan si Marcos na nananatiling committed ang Philippine government sa pagtugon sa mga isyu sa pamamagitan ng dayalogo at konsultasyon, ”yet the Philippines, like any sovereign state, will continue to firmly defend its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction, in accordance with international law.”
Nagpasalamat din siya kay Scholz para sa suporta ng Germany sa international law, kabilanh ang 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
”Our shared commitment to international law strengthens our partnership and creates a favorable atmosphere for working together on global issues,” giit ni Marcos. RNT/SA
