MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday afternoon returned to Manila following his participation in the the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean)-Russia Commemorative Summit in Kazan, Russia.
Marcos and his delegation arrived at 4:02 p.m. at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.
In his arrival statement, Marcos said the summit, which marked the 35th anniversary of Asean-Russia relations, provided an opportunity for leaders to assess the progress of the partnership and outline future cooperation amid an increasingly complex global environment.
The President said that discussions covered significant regional and international developments, including the situation in the South China Sea and the Middle East, as well as ways to strengthen cooperation in areas that directly affect the stability, resilience, and prosperity of the participating nations.
“We discussed ways to further advance our bilateral partnership across trade and investment, energy security, agriculture, science and technology, education, and people-to-people exchanges,” he said.
The President also noted that Asean and Russia reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing practical cooperation on shared security challenges, including terrorism, transnational crime, cybercrime, and other non-traditional threats, while sustaining engagement across Asean’s political security, economic, and socio-cultural pillars.
The summit adopted several key outcome documents, including the Kazan Declaration 2026; Asean-Russia: Unity in Diversity – 35 Years Together; the Asean-Russia Joint Statements on Cultural Cooperation and Energy Cooperation; and the Asean-Russia Comprehensive Plan of Action 2026-2030, which will serve as the roadmap for cooperation over the next five years.
Marcos also underscored the growing interconnectedness of regional processes across Eurasia.
“In this spirit, I had constructive engagements with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union including through the Eurasian Economic Commission covering inter-regional dialogue and practical cooperation in trade and investment, energy security, connectivity, agriculture, tourism, and addressing transnational challenges,” he added.
The President said discussions focused on inter-regional dialogue and practical cooperation in trade and investment, energy security, connectivity, agriculture, tourism, and addressing transnational challenges.
On the sidelines of the Asean-Russia Commemorative Summit, Marcos also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the future of Philippines-Russia relations and explore opportunities for expanding bilateral cooperation across key sectors.
“On the margins of the summit, I held a very productive bilateral meeting with President Putin where we reaffirmed the friendship and cooperation between Russia and the Philippines as we look forward to the next 50 years in our relations,” he said.
The two leaders discussed ways to further advance cooperation in trade and investment, energy security, agriculture, science and technology, education, and people-to-people exchanges.
Marcos expressed gratitude to the Russian government and people for their hospitality and the successful hosting of the commemorative summit, emphasizing the Philippines’ commitment to constructive regional engagement and mutually beneficial partnerships with Asean dialogue partners.
“The Philippine delegation and I are grateful to the Government and people of the Russian Federation for their warm hospitality and the successful hosting of this Commemorative Summit,” he said.
