Opening Statement by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the Bilateral Meeting with His Excellency Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany

Good morning, Your Excellency, and the German delegation and welcome once again to Manila and welcome to Malacañang.

It is my honor and pleasure to welcome Your Excellency Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the esteemed members of your delegation to our beautiful country.

Your state visit marks a significant moment in the long-standing friendship between the Philippines and Germany, a partnership founded on mutual respect and shared values.

I note that this is the first visit by a German President for 63 years. And the last time a German Head of State visited the country was in 1963, when President and Mrs. Heinrich Lubke traveled to the Philippines.

In our meeting today, Your Excellency, we look forward to discussing with the German delegation the wide array of cooperation between our two countries, both in the bilateral and in the multilateral fields.

I am joined here today by the distinguished members of the Cabinet ready to discuss matters of mutual interest.

I hope to take this opportunity to talk to our German friends, who are very much like-minded on the important issues of our times regarding the various challenges to peace being faced by all of us around the globe.

With this, Your Excellency, I look forward to having a constructive and meaningful exchange with our honored German guest this morning.

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