2015 June 15 – The Philippines and Germany will hold their second bilateral political consultations on June 16, in Berlin, Germany, building on the positive momentum generated by the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries last year.
The Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Evan P. Garcia will head the Philippine delegation, while Ambassador Clemens von Goetze, formerly Germany’s Ambassador to the Philippines, will head the German side.
The political consultations will take place in the aftermath of the recently-concluded G7 Foreign Ministers’Summit and the 41st G7 Leaders’ Summit, both hosted by Germany and which produced strong expressions of support for Philippine advocacies in the South China Sea.
Held on an as-needed basis, the second political consultations will cover bilateral aspects of the Philippines’ relations with Germany, including development cooperation and expansion of trade. It is also expected to touch on issues of mutual concern and interest.
Diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Germany were established in 1954. In 2014, total trade reached US$5.3 billion, making Germany the Philippines’ biggest trade partner in Europe. END