Metro Manila, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will host German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier next week for a state visit that Malacañang described as a significant milestone in the more than seven-decade relationship between the Philippines and Germany.
In a statement, the Presidential Communications Office said Steinmeier will undertake a state visit on June 15 to 17.
The visit will be the first by a German head of state to the Philippines since 1963, when President Heinrich Lübke visited Manila.
“The two leaders will discuss issues of mutual interest, including defense, peacebuilding, maritime cooperation, trade and investment, climate change, renewable energy, and people-to-people exchanges,” Malacañang said.
The leaders are also expected to exchange views on regional and international developments, including the Philippines’ chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The visit comes as Manila seeks to expand ties with European partners amid growing geopolitical challenges in the Indo-Pacific and efforts to strengthen economic and security cooperation with like-minded nations.
Germany is the Philippines’ largest trading and investment partner within the European Union. Major German companies operating in the country include Siemens, Lufthansa Technik, Deutsche Bank, Bayer, and Bosch.
Malacañang noted that Germany has also emerged as a consistent supporter of a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific and has served as an ASEAN Development Partner since 2016.
President Marcos last met German leaders during a working visit to Berlin in March 2024, where he held talks with then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The trip coincided with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Germany, which were formally established on Oct. 8, 1954.
In a separate column, German Ambassador Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke said the visit reflects the growing depth of Philippine-German relations, which have expanded in recent years through high-level exchanges, defense cooperation, trade, and cultural engagement.
He described the trip as a “historic occasion” and said President Steinmeier and President Marcos are expected to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in security, economic development, climate action, and people-to-people ties.
Pfaffernoschke said the visit also sends a broader message about the two countries’ shared commitment to a rules-based international order.
“With the upcoming visit, we also want to send a clear message to the global stage: Germany and the Philippines are partners and allies,” he wrote, noting that Germany remains the Philippines’ largest trading and investment partner in the European Union, with bilateral trade exceeding €5 billion annually and more than 150 German companies operating in the country.
