MANILA: The Philippines’ President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr (pic) departed for Kazan, Russia, late Tuesday (June 16) to lead the Philippines’ participation in the Asean-Russia Commemorative Summit and hold bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin focused on energy and food security.
The plane carrying Marcos and his delegation left Villamor Airbase in Pasay City shortly after 11.55 pm, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported.
In his departure statement, Marcos said the summit marks the 35th anniversary of Asean-Russia relations and carries special significance as it will be his first visit to Russia and comes as Manila and Moscow commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relations.
The president said the summit will allow Asean leaders and President Putin to review three decades of cooperation and identify areas for deeper engagement in the years ahead.
"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,” he said.
Discussions are expected to cover peace and security, trade and investment, food and energy security, science and technology, digital transformation, education, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
On the sidelines of the summit, Marcos will meet with Putin for bilateral talks.
"Beyond marking our golden anniversary of diplomatic relations, which were formally established on June 2, 1976, our discussions will focus on concrete areas of mutual interest, particularly energy and food security,” the president said.
The trip comes as governments worldwide grapple with concerns over energy prices and supply stability amid continuing geopolitical tensions.
Marcos reiterated the Philippines’ commitment to Asean centrality and regional cooperation.
"Guided by our Asean Chairmanship theme, ‘Navigating Our Future, Together', the Philippines will continue to champion Asean unity, centrality, and solidarity and promote an open, inclusive, and rules-based regional architecture anchored in international law,” he said.
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 despite a combined 26-hour flight time.
"Every hour matters when the conversations revolve around issues that affect everyday life for Filipino families - from food and energy security to fuel prices,” she said.
The summit will be held on June 17 and 18 in Kazan, where Asean leaders and Putin are expected to adopt key documents outlining future areas of cooperation between the regional bloc and Russia. - Bernama-PNA
