Phl, Russia discuss future direction of relations

Russia has almost everything other traditional partners of the Philippines can offer in terms of defense equipment, but without political conditionalities and other strings attached, the Philippines’ top diplomat in Moscow said.

“It provides technology transfer and is flexible on the issue of financing,” Ambassador Carlos Sorreta said.

While no decision has yet been made on the purchase of Russian weapons, Sorreta said the Philippines and Russia are laying the foundation for robust military-technical cooperation through exchange of visits and crafting of legal frameworks.

Sorreta discussed the future direction of Philippine-Russia relations in an interview with the Wall Street Journal at the Philippine embassy in Moscow. The interview is part of the efforts of the embassy there to engage key media players in Russia.

He discussed the decision of the Philippine government to intensify relations with Russia, possibly in the area of militarytechnical cooperation. He also noted that President Duterte declared his intention to pursue an independent foreign policy.

“In an interdependent and interconnected world, this could mean less dependence on a single nation and more engagement with the rest of the world,” Sorreta said.

“One of the important players in this world is Russia and there are many opportunities for mutually beneficial relations between us,” he added. “This does not mean cutting off bilateral ties with other countries, as the President himself has clarified.”

Duterte had a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Lima, Peru on Sunday. Duterte said he felt like he and Putin had known each other “for so long.”