Maritime Security in Europe and the Indo-Pacific: Fostering Stronger Cooperation Between Germany and the Philippines

Germany and the Philippines have been deepening their security cooperation in recent years. In 2024, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius visited Manila, reviving a long-dormant defence policy dialogue. In May 2025, the two governments signed a Defence Cooperation Arrangement. Germany has also delivered unarmed drones to the Philippine Coast Guard. These bilateral steps form the backdrop for a Track 1.5 strategic dialogue convened by FES Philippines, the Foundation for the National Interest (FNI), and the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin on 14 October 2025. The new report from the three institutions captures what was discussed and where cooperation might practically go next.

The dialogue's premise has been gaining traction in policy circles in both Berlin and Manila. The maritime security challenges facing Europe and the Indo-Pacific are increasingly converging, even as the actors and regional conditions differ. Russia's shadow fleet operates in the Baltic, where suspected sabotage of submarine cables has risen sharply since 2022. In the South China Sea, China deploys coast guard, naval, and maritime militia vessels and continues to dispute the Philippines' jurisdiction over features within its Exclusive Economic Zone, including waters that Manila refers to as the West Philippine Sea. Both situations involve coercive activity that falls below the threshold of open conflict, often described as the "grey zone." Both expose the vulnerability of submarine cables, which carry more than 95 percent of international internet traffic, and both implicate the resilience of supply chains and energy corridors the global economy depends on.

Both Germany and the Philippines are also navigating a period in which long-standing assumptions about US security commitments have become harder to take for granted. Shifting strategic priorities and trade measures from Washington have introduced new uncertainty into alliances built across the Cold War and post-Cold War decades. For Manila and Berlin, the response has been to diversify partnerships and invest in independent capacity, even as each remains formally committed to its respective alliance with the United States.

This was the second iteration of the Germany-Philippines Strategic Dialogue, building on an inaugural session held in Manila in 2024. Hosted by SWP, the Berlin meeting brought academic experts and civil society representatives into direct exchange with officials from both governments. Track 1.5 formats are designed to allow this kind of candid working session, which more formal channels often do not permit. Discussions covered three thematic areas: evolving threat assessments across both regions, the rise of grey zone tactics, and the protection of critical maritime infrastructure including submarine cables, ports, and offshore energy installations.

The cooperation that emerged is built on complementarity. Germany contributes regulatory and technical expertise on infrastructure governance, areas where Philippine policy has acknowledged gaps, particularly around seabed governance and submarine cable protection. The Philippines contributes operational experience in countering grey zone activity, including its Transparency Initiative, which has drawn international attention as a strategy for documenting and publicly exposing coercive maritime activity. European partners working on similar challenges in the Baltic have begun studying the Philippine approach.

The dialogue identified five concrete areas for advancing bilateral cooperation: seabed governance and marine environmental protection; the protection of critical submarine infrastructure; countering cognitive warfare and disinformation; information sharing among national agencies; and humanitarian preparedness for potential regional contingencies. The Philippines' upcoming ASEAN chairmanship in 2026 offers an additional opening to bring some of these conversations into a broader regional frame.

Read the full report below.