PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that enhancing cooperation in security, trade, energy, food security, and other key areas would top his agenda during his visit to Russia.
The president and his delegation departed on Tuesday at midnight for Kazan, Russia, to participate in the commemorative summit between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and Russia.
“As Chair of Asean, the Philippines is committed to ensuring that this Commemorative Summit produces substantive and forward-looking outcomes that deepen Asean’s Strategic Partnership with Russia and contribute, in concrete terms, to regional peace, stability, and shared prosperity,” Marcos said.
“Together with my fellow Asean Leaders and President Vladimir Putin, we will take stock of 35 years of Asean–Russia cooperation and help chart a course for the decades ahead,” he added.
Marcos said discussions during the summit would focus on cooperation in peace and security, trade and investment, food and energy security, science and technology, digital transformation, education, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.
The summit also coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Russia.
“For over five decades, our bilateral ties have steadily deepened across trade, education, culture, agriculture, energy, science, and, above all, through the sustained bonds between our peoples. We look forward to building on these foundations and opening new avenues of cooperation for the future,” he added.
On the sidelines of the summit, Marcos is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Putin.
The president reiterated the Philippines’ commitment to Asean unity and cooperation with external partners.
First lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, in a social media post, described the trip as brief but significant, noting that the president would spend only around 38 hours in Russia.
Asean leaders and Putin are expected to adopt several key outcome documents, including the Kazan Declaration 2026, which will articulate the shared vision of Asean and Russia as they commemorate 35 years of partnership.
Putin has sought to deepen political and economic ties with Asia during Moscow's more than four-year full-scale offensive against Ukraine.
The summit in the capital of Tatarstan, around 700 kilometers (435 miles) east of Moscow, comes as the G7 meets in France with ending the Ukraine and Middle East wars as its main focus.
Representatives of 11 Asean countries arrived in Kazan on Wednesday, with the main day of the summit set for the following day.
Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore are sending their prime ministers.
Myanmar — which held a coup in 2021 and has close ties to Moscow — will also send a delegation.
Moscow said the leaders will "exchange views on global and regional problems" and new aims in Russia — ties in "security, trade, investment and humanitarian cooperation." Facing giant Western sanctions over its Ukraine offensive, Moscow has reoriented its economy — especially oil exports — toward Asia. With AFP
