Marcos hosts German President Steinmeier in Malacañang

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Tuesday welcomed German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Malacañang Palace amid the latter’s state visit to the Philippines.

Steinmeier landed in Manila late Monday night, along with his First Lady, Elke Büdenbender.

They arrived in Malacañang past 10 a.m. on Tuesday and were welcomed by Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and several Cabinet officials.

A 21-gun salute was accorded to the visiting German President during the welcome ceremony. The delegation members of the Philippines and Germany were thereafter introduced to the two leaders.

Marcos and Steinmeier are expected to hold a bilateral meeting and joint press conference within the day, and witness the presentation and exchange of signed agreements.

Prior to the bilateral meeting of the two leaders, Marcos emphasized that Steinmeier’s state visit marked a significant moment in the longstanding friendship between the Philippines and Germany—a partnership, which he said, was founded on mutual respect and shared values.

“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,” Marcos said in his opening statement.

“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,” he added.

Steinmeier’s state visit is expected to highlight strengthened cooperation between the Philippines and Germany across key areas, such as defense, peacebuilding, maritime cooperation, trade and investment, climate change, renewable energy, and people-to-people exchanges.

In 2024, Marcos also went to Berlin for a working visit meant to enhance the bilateral relations between the Philippines and Germany.

Meanwhile, the last visit by a German President to the Philippines was in 1963. — AOL/RSJ, GMA News