Marcos Jr. visits Russia for talks with Putin, expanding diplomatic and economic ties

(CNA, reporter Lin Xingjian, Manila, June 18) While the Philippines continues to deepen its security cooperation with the United States and Japan, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is also seeking to expand diplomatic and economic interactions with Russia. He held bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss energy security, food security, and tourism cooperation.

Marcos Jr. departed from Manila late on the 16th for Kazan, Russia, to attend the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit held from the 17th to the 18th as the rotating chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

This trip marks Marcos Jr.'s first visit to Russia since taking office as president in 2022. He held bilateral talks with Putin on the sidelines of the summit.

According to a press release issued by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) of the Philippines, Marcos Jr. pointed out that although bilateral trade between the Philippines and Russia is stable, there is still much room for development in cooperation. He thanked Russia for engaging in "forward-looking exchanges" with the Philippines on structural issues affecting bilateral trade.

Marcos Jr. mentioned that at the bilateral economic and trade cooperation meeting held in Moscow last September, energy security and food security were identified as common priorities. Businesses from both sides also explored cooperation opportunities on the sidelines, covering areas such as innovative technology, retail products, cosmetics, food processing, and industrial cooperation.

Former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. visited the then-Soviet Union in 1976, leading to the establishment of diplomatic relations between Manila and Moscow. This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Marcos Jr. said that this meeting is particularly significant and expressed hope to maintain a regular political consultation mechanism to expand bilateral cooperation.

On the other hand, the PCO quoted Philippine Ambassador to Russia Igor Garlit Bailen as saying that several Russian airlines are seeking to resume or launch new direct flights to the Philippines, which is expected to boost people-to-people exchanges and tourism cooperation.

Bailen said that Russian tourists are deeply interested in destinations in the Philippines such as Boracay and Palawan. S7 Airlines has applied to operate direct flights from cities like Irkutsk, Vladivostok, and Khabarovsk to Manila and Cebu in the Philippines, and is currently awaiting approval from the Civil Aviation Board (CAB) of the Philippines.

He added that the Philippines is actively expanding its emerging tourist markets beyond China, South Korea, and the United States. He also noted that among ASEAN member states, Russian tourists tend to favor Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. (Editor: Zhang Zhixuan) 1150618

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