German minister to visit Phl

MANILA, Philippines - German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle will visit the Philippines on Feb. 7 and 8 on the invitation of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced yesterday.

Westerwelle’s visit is the first by a German foreign minister in more than 12 years and reciprocates an official trip to Germany by Del Rosario last December.

The last German foreign minister who visited the Philippines was Hans-Dietrich Genscher in July 2000.

Officials of the German Federal Foreign Office (FFO), 12 businessmen and 10 German journalists will accompany Westerwelle.

During the first day of his visit, Westerwelle and his official delegation would hold a bilateral meeting with Del Rosario and other Filipino officials.

The German minister will also pay a courtesy call on President Aquino before he speaks in a discussion on the Mindanao peace process with representatives of civil society groups.

On the last day of this trip, Westerwelle will attend a meeting organized by the German Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI).

He will also visit a German ship management company before departing Manila on his way to Singapore.

The DFA said Westerwelle’s visit is a very strong signal of the interest of the Philippines and Germany to enhance bilateral relations.

Germany is the Philippines’ second largest export market in the European Union and the second biggest source of tourists coming to the Philippines from Europe.

Germany is also a leading source of official development assistance (ODA).

Records of the Department of Trade and Industry showed that trade between the two countries from January to September 2012 reached $2.6 billion.