President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday emphasized the importance of partnership among nations in addressing geopolitical issues, particularly in the West Philippine Sea, as he welcomed the participation of Western countries in forging unity against foreign encroachment in the contested waters.

Marcos welcomed German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius in Malacanang during a courtesy call. He is the first German Defense Minister to visit the Philippines.

During the meeting, Marcos told the German defense chief that countries must try everything, including diplomacy, which he noted is not perfectly predictable.

“But so, again, the partnerships are important, the stability, all, in our case, the South China Sea, the West Philippine Sea, as we refer to it,” the President told Pistorius.

“In your case, Central Eastern Europe, really depends on a very solid front, and that front represents, again, international law, and it must be made very clear to all, both allies and adversaries, that this is the basis of all that we do, and it’s easily understandable, easily appreciated by I think all parties, and everything outside of that will be resisted, and that’s all we can do,” the President pointed out.

Marcos noted that if it were just the Philippines doing it, it would not be as effective, and it’s the same for Germany.

With NATO and ASEAN?with the Indo-Pacific region as one?the President said he thinks it will hold back the tide a little bit.

“Every effort has its place, and we are glad that Germany has come to join. It is remarkable for us to see, but now we have a Canadian vessel that’s come here to visit, we have French vessels joining in, and Germany was an observer during the last exercises,” Marcos said.

The President added that the country’s foreign policy is based on two imperatives?peace and national interest, both of which have been effective guides for the Philippines.

“It’s not been easy, but it has been something that we can always hang on to. There’s a touchstone for us, and we know how to deal with situations that we had not anticipated,” he said.

For his part, Pistorius said standing together to show unity for peace is important, underscoring the necessity and clarity of security, which link the two nations with each other.

“And I could not agree more with your assessment regarding standing together for peace and security, and for our interests. That is the reason why we are engaging,” Pistorius said, mentioning Germany’s Indo-Pacific deployment next year.

“As I always mentioned during my trip here to the Indo-Pacific, presence matters, and presence is key to show China, or maybe others in the future, that we stand together. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the Philippines, Europe, India, or whoever it is.”

Pistorius arrived in the Philippines on August 3 for a three-day visit to the country, which is part of his visit to the Indo-Pacific region. The German official visited Hawaii before proceeding to South Korea and the Philippines. Presidential News Desk