President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. departed for Kazan, Russia shortly before midnight on Tuesday for a working visit, where he will participate in the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit from June 17 to 18.
The visit aims to strengthen cooperation between ASEAN and Russia, with discussions expected to focus on economic partnerships, energy security, food supply resilience, and other key regional concerns.
Marcos departed for Kazan, Russia at 11:55 p.m.
The summit will bring together regional leaders to discuss cooperation in security, trade, energy, food security, and other key areas.
The President will serve as co-chair of the summit alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking before his departure, Marcos emphasized the Philippines’ commitment to ensuring meaningful outcomes from the gathering.
“As chair of ASEAN, the Philippines is committed to ensuring that this summit produces substantive and forward-looking outcomes that deepen ASEAN Strategic Partnership with Russia and contribute, in concrete terms, to regional peace, stability, and shared prosperity,” he said.
Marcos noted that the summit will also mark 35 years of cooperation between ASEAN and Russia.
“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.
Discussions during the summit are expected to focus on 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 is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Putin. According to the President, their talks will center on areas of mutual interest, particularly energy and food security.
“Our discussions will focus on concrete areas of mutual interest, particularly energy and food security. Guided by our ASEAN Chairship 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,” Marcos said.
He added that the Philippines looks forward to expanding cooperation with Russia in the years ahead.
“We look forward to building on these foundations and opening new avenues of cooperation for the future,” he added.
The trip marks Marcos’ first visit to Russia. His father, former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., made a historic visit to the former Soviet Union in 1976, which led to the establishment of diplomatic relations between Manila and Moscow.
