300 businessmen join Duterte in Moscow

About 300 businessmen are accompanying President Duterte’s trip this week to Moscow for a meeting with the Russian leader Vladimir Putin where all aspects of cooperation are expected to be discussed.

According to Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez, there is a long list of Filipino businessmen joining the President’s state visit to Russia, which started today May 22 up to the 26th.

“There are already over 200 businessmen on the list, but I think this could reach 300,” Lopez told reporters.

The huge business contingent will be attending the business forum organized by the Philippines. Some businessmen will also sign business deals.

Aside from the private sector, there are also government cooperation agreements.

From the DTI side, Lopez said they are signing two documents. One is a memorandum of intent on trade and investment promotion and the other is a memorandum of understanding on industry development.

Several bilateral agreements are expected to be signed during the visit. These agreements are those related to defense, security, legal assistance, trade and investment, peaceful use of nuclear energy, and culture.

To create more awareness, the Philippines will also hold a business forum where the government will present the country’s trade and investment opportunities for Russian businessmen.

The forum will also present the country’s economic growth plans and strategies under the so-called “Dutertenomics.”

Lopez noted that “everything is new” in the President’s official trip to Russia.

Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Maria Cleofe Natividad said during the departure press briefing that the President’s visit to Russia will mark a new chapter in Philippine-Russia relations, which she described as a “nascent stage” despite almost 41 years of bilateral diplomatic relations.

For instance, bilat-

eral trade in 2016 totaled only to $226 million, with the Philippines experiencing a trade deficit for exporting only $49 million worth of goods to Russia.

Russian investments in the Philippines at best are still miniscule and Russian tourist arrivals in the Philippines are at around 38,000 only, still way below that of many ASEAN countries.

During the visit, Duterte and Putin will have ample time to each other. Both leaders will hold a smaller or more personal meeting and an expanded meeting.

The bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and President Putin will be held on the 24th and the 25th of May, the first and second day of the official visit.

In Moscow, Duterte is going to deliver a policy speech at the prestigious Moscow State Institute of International Relations or the MGIMO.

In that event, Natividad said the President is expected to articulate his administration’s commitment to pursue an independent foreign policy that is anchored foremost on national interest considerations.

MGIMO, being an elite institution for diplomatic training and international relations, will likewise anticipate that the President will share his ideas on how to achieve peace and security, especially in the Asia Pacific region. Duterte will also meet the 5,000 Filipinos in Russia who are known avid supporters of the President.

The Russian leader invited his Philippine counterpart to visit Moscow during a bilateral at the sidelines of the APEC Summit Meeting in Lima, Peru.