MANILA, Oct. 29 -- German Chancellor Helmut Kohl arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday for a three-day state visit aimed at strengthening economic and bilateral ties between both nations. Kohl and his delegation of three cabinet ministers and 50 German businessmen were welcomed by Vice President Joseph Estrada and Foreign Affairs officials.
The visit is Kohl's second in Manila but his first since he assumed office in 1982. After a brief visit at the monument honoring the Philippines' national hero, Jose P. Rizal, the German leader proceeded to the presidential palace, where he was scheduled to meet with President Fidel Ramos and witness the signing of a 1.3-billion-peso ($49.46 million) German assistance grant for various projects in the country. Kohl is expected to meet with German businessmen in the Philippines and visit an export processing zone near Manila before leaving for Tokyo, Japan on Thursday. Germany is the Philippines' second-largest bilateral donor after Japan. It is one of the country's largest trading partners, with exports to the Philippines reaching $930 million in 1995. German investments in the Philippines more than tripled from $7 million in 1994 to $24 million in 1995.
