Villamor Air Base, Pasay City
March 16, 2024
“My visit to Berlin was also part of the 70th anniversary of Philippines-Germany diplomatic relations, and the Philippines and the Czech Republic are celebrating as well 50 years of bilateral ties,” said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as he delivered his arrival statement upon his return to the country following his Working Visit to Berlin, Germany and State Visit to Prague, Czech Republic.
During his visit in Germany, the President met with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and discussed matters of mutual interest, such as upholding the rule of law and promoting rules-based international order. Their meeting also centered on enhancing cooperation in the areas of peace and development, defense, maritime, trade and investment on critical raw materials and renewable energy, climate change, and labor.
He also engaged in a discussion with the Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP) regarding its expansion plans in the country, which entails the construction of a second hangar in Clark, Pampanga.
He likewise expressed appreciation to the Siemens company for its support and confidence in Filipino talent, as well as for its commitment to support the capacity-building of Filipino technical personnel in the field of healthcare.
In the Czech Republic, the Chief Executive explored ways to boost bilateral ties in trade, investment, defense, agriculture, renewable energy, transport and cultural exchange. He highlighted the Philippines’ impressive economic growth and encouraged Czech businesses to invest in sectors like information technology-business process management (IT-BPM), electronics, manufacturing, food and agriculture, and automotive manufacturing.
Furthermore, he outlined the result of his meetings with business leaders in both countries, where the country welcomed several agreements for projects valued at US$4 billion in various sectors. He also underscored the strong commitment to strengthen the semiconductor industry with the facilitation of exchange programs and skills enhancement initiatives.
Other agreements signed during the President’s visit to the two countries include the Joint Declaration of Intent on Strengthening Cooperation in the Maritime Sector between Philippine and German transportation agencies; Cooperation Programme between the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and German Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training; and the Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Labor Consultations Mechanism between Philippine and Czech labor agencies.
“Overall, I am confident that these visits to Germany and the Czech Republic have strengthened our bonds with these two countries in Central Europe, and created opportunities for cooperation and prosperity,” the Chief Executive concluded in his message.
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