Conditions seen ripe for expanded relationship with Moscow — official
THE Philippines and Russia are ready for a “very wide, very broad” relationship that would extend beyond the term of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, a Russian legislator said in an interview.
Andrey Klimov, a member of the Russian parliament’s Federation Council, or upper house, told that Moscow looks forward to the Filipino leader’s visit.
Mr. Klimov, who is deputy chair of the Federation Council’s Committee on International Affairs, said he told Mr. Duterte during their meeting at Malacañang on Monday that Moscow and Manila are now entering “a new epoch” in their bilateral ties.
He described the meeting as “a very open constructive dialogue” that lasted for “almost one hour.”
“I can say that it was a very usual meeting for me,” Mr. Klimov told
in an interview after his meeting with the President. He did not elaborate.
“We are looking for all-term cooperation with your country. Not just six years… That is why we’d like to offer a lot of things, not just to one man, even if he is the President.”
The Russian member of parliament is on a two-day visit in Manila to meet with his legislative counterparts. He is tasked with reporting his “impressions” upon his return to Moscow. He said his trip was planned even before the May 2016 elections.
“It started with some senators in your country and we decided that after [the] elections, we will be in touch and we’ll see what we can do together to increase a little bit our mutual cooperation,” he said.
He added that he and Mr. Duterte discussed topics that are of interest to both the Philippines and Russia.
They include mining, energy, defense, education, producing professionals “in various high-tech industries,” and the possibility of Moscow engaging in Manila’s Information Technology (IT) industry.
“My purpose is to show the whole picture for Russians and to give a very clear message to the people of Philippines, for your leaders that we are ready for very wide, very broad partnership in the near future,” Mr. Klimov said.
According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Russia has not had any foreign direct investment in the Philippines since 1999. Meanwhile, Russia was 31st out of 223 trade partners in 2015, the Department of Trade and Industry said. It is also the Philippines’ 44th-largest export market (out of 211), and 27th-largest source of imports (out of 203).
The top Philippine export product to Russia is carrageenan, seaweed and other algae; while the top import of the Philippine from Russia is petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals.
In the same interview, Mr. Klimov said Russia has a productive history with other Asian countries like Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and China and he wants the same relationship with the Philippines.
He then stressed that Russia’s move to forge closer ties with the Philippines should not be interpreted as being “against somebody,” adding that the move is not “anti-American.”
“The door is open for the Russian side [and] as far as I understood the door is open for the Philippine side as well and you are really a visible player in ASEAN community,” Mr. Klimov said.
“Why not to have more [than] just affairs with the United States and China, but with Russian Federation as well? One of the biggest economies and one of the real superpowers in the world.”
Mr. Duterte is scheduled to visit Moscow in May, where he will sign various agreements especially in the area of defense. In December, he sent his foreign and defense ministers to Moscow to discuss arms deals.
For his part, Mr. Klimov said Russia is looking forward to the Filipino leader’s trip to Moscow but “we are very realistic.”
“Well for the first visit that we have to be realists and it is not possible dramatically to change the situation between countries just after one visit. Anyhow, without that visit, it is not possible to prolong this story in a proper way.”