Taguig City: Germany and the Philippines have underscored the importance of establishing a mechanism to facilitate the exchange of classified information between their military forces. This initiative was highlighted during a Stratbase ADRI Forum held in Taguig City, where key officials from both nations discussed the benefits of such an arrangement.
According to Philippines News Agency, German Ambassador to the Philippines Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke emphasized that a formal agreement on sharing classified information is crucial for the full utilization of the new German-Philippine defense cooperation agreement. “Discussing an agreement on sharing classified information is obviously needed because if you talk more about defense cooperation and you want to share information about military equipment, this is the basis for that. Otherwise, you cannot share this,” Pfaffernoschke stated.
During the forum, Maj. Gen. Rommel Cordova, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, reiterated the need for a ‘clearer arrangement’ on intelligence sharing. Such an arrangement would assist Manila in addressing foreign malign influences and combating information warfare. Cordova expressed interest in learning from Germany’s approach to cyber threats through its Cyber and Information Domain Service. He noted that collaboration with Germany and other nations, such as Canada, is vital given the adversarial use of disinformation and misinformation.
Berlin and Manila have recently formalized a defense cooperation arrangement that includes potential collaboration in areas like cybersecurity, defense armament, logistics, and United Nations peacekeeping efforts. While strengthening defense ties, Ambassador Pfaffernoschke clarified that Germany does not seek to project power unilaterally in the region but aims to build resilient sovereign partners. He praised the Philippines for its commitment to international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Pfaffernoschke highlighted the strategic importance of the Philippines in the Indo-Pacific region due to its geographic location along critical sea lanes in the South China Sea. For Germany, ensuring maritime stability in this region aligns with its national interest, given its economy’s reliance on global trade and open sea lanes.
Stratbase ADRI’s Dindo Manhit remarked that this evolving partnership demonstrates the strength of Philippine-German relations and signals that responsible international community members will continue collaborating to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.
