President Rodrigo Duterte’s weeklong trip to Russia is part of his independent foreign policy, which aims to establish partnerships with countries that are not Manila’s traditional allies, Malacañang said Thursday, as the Chief Executive met with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow.
These partnerships would be founded on shared interests, sovereign equality and pragmatism, said Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo.
President Duterte met with Medvedev on Wednesday at the Prime Minister’s Office, dubbed by Russians as their own “White House,” where the Philippine leader expressed optimism for strengthened and deeper ties.
Several bilateral agreements are expected to be signed in health, culture, education, and trade.]
READ: Duterte guns for renewed bilateral ties with Russia
“I am confident we’ll succeed as I see strong commitment and will from both sides to bring our relation to an even greater level,” Duterte said in his opening statement during the meeting.
Duterte also noted that since his first visit to Russia in 2017, there has been “remarkable progress” in the engagement of two countries in strategic areas such as defense and security.
“We now have consultative mechanisms where we explore ways to expound our cooperation in various areas including trade and investment, defense and security, energy, science, and technology, among others. We are intent to sustain this momentum,” Duterte said.
Medvedev also said the Philippine-Russia relations have been developing at “a good pace.”
“Our goal is to secure this trend. We are interested in more joint projects in various fields of cooperation,” Medvedev wrote in a Twitter post.
The two leaders previously met in ASEAN Summits in 2016 and 2017. They will also see each other in the upcoming East Asia Summit in Thailand this month.
Duterte also met with Igor Sechin, chief executive officer of the Russian oil giant ROSNEF, in Moscow.
“The President invited Rosneft, the leader in the Russian oil sector, to invest in the Philippines, particularly with regard to oil and gas development,” Panelo said.
“The Chief Executive underscored that any agreement that will be executed or performed for such purpose shall undergo the proper domestic processes and comply with applicable laws and pertinent rules and regulations so as not to leave any room for corruption or irregularity,” he added.
The President arrived in Sochi, Russia on Thursday to meet with President Vladimir Putin and Jordanian King Abdullah II Bin Al-Hussein.
READ: Duterte-Putin meeting on agenda
Duterte and Putin will witness the exchange of several bilateral agreements that cover cooperation in health, science and technology, and culture.
READ: Duterte, Putin to discuss bilateral relations
The President’s overnight stay in Sochi is the highlight of the presidential visit to Russia, Panelo said.
The President is also slated to speak before the Valdai Forum, a first for a Philippine leader, to discuss world order from his perspective.
The Valdai Forum gathers world leaders, top Russian and international officials, policymakers, academics and journalists to discuss issues on world order.
After his activities, he will depart from Sochi to Moscow to attend a business forum and a cultural gala performance.
In Moscow, he will also lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to honor the memory of fallen soldiers and will also be given a walking tour of the Kremlin.
Duterte’s six-day trip to Russia is a follow-up to his inaugural visit in May 2017, which was cut short by the conflict in Marawi City.
Philippine Ambassador to Russia Carlos Sorreta said the government is working “aggressively” to improve the Philippines’ market access to Russia, particularly on agricultural products.
“Our primary objective is market access. Russian taste is evolving. They’re willing to try things that are new. So we have, I believe, a good market here for agricultural products,” Sorreta said at the Philippine Embassy in Moscow on Wednesday.
“There will be agreements that will create demand for our products, which means more workers will be employed by the corporations. Farmers will get higher value for their products. Manufacturers will be creating more jobs and more importantly, the Philippines will be identified as a major player in the agricultural market here, in the food market here—food and drink,” Sorreta said.
Sorreta said the government would have to overcome challenges such as Russia’s current impression of the Philippines.
“The problem is Russians have a very little knowledge of the Philippines. What little knowledge they have is stereotypical of the Philippines,” he said, citing the country’s close association with the United States.
The envoy said that to promote its products, the Philippines should promote the country first.
“We have to sell the whole country, our people, our places, our history,” he added.
To create that better knowledge and understanding of the Philippines, Sorreta said the embassy has organized events such as food tasting and cooking demonstrations featuring Filipino agricultural products.
Sorreta said he is also hoping that the Philippines and Russia would soon strike a bilateral labor agreement to provide Filipino workers with visas.
Sorreta said there are currently about 10,000 Filipino workers in Russia with 90 percent to 95 percent working as nannies and household help.
However, he said that only “very few” Filipinos are legally working in Russia because there are only about a hundred legal visas available for nannies and household service workers.
“The rest do not have this visa to work here. But they work here. They are doing very well,” Sorreta said. With PNA