Philippines, Russia Highlight Strengthened Inter-Parliamentary Relations, People-To-People Exchanges
Representative Alan Peter Cayetano (left) and Foreign Service Institute Director General Jose Maria Cariño (right) highlight the strong inter-parliamentary relations and people-to-people exchanges between the Philippines and Russia during the Virtual Conference in celebration of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the two countries on 25 May 2021. (DFA-OEA photo)
PASAY CITY 28 May 2021 – The Philippines and Russia underscored the strong parliamentary relations and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries during a virtual conference in celebration of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations on 25 May 2021.
Representative Alan Peter Cayetano highlighted the huge leaps in the bilateral cooperation between the Philippines and Russia in the last five years under the leadership of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Inter-parliamentary relations should not be hindered by the pandemic. COVID-19 presents a lot of opportunities to grow the relations through the use of technology,” said Cayetano. He recommended that the Philippines and Russia further enhance collaboration in the fields of agriculture, tourism, manufacturing and people-to-people-exchanges.
Head of the Friendship Group between Russia’s Federation Council of the Federal Assembly and the Philippine Senate Ludmila Talabaeva said that Philippine and Russian parliamentarians have achieved significant mutual understanding on regional and international issues and have interacted actively in various multilateral fora.
The Senate of the Philippines and the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia established an inter-parliamentary friendship group in 1994 which ushered an increase of exchanges between the parliamentarians of the two countries.
Foreign Service Institute (FSI) Director General Jose Maria Cariño shared that people-to-people exchanges paved the way for the establishment of formal relations between the Philippines and Russia when the then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) sent delegates to international conferences in Manila and Filipinos began to take part in international seminars and training programs held in the USSR.
Over the years, there has been continued intensification of cultural and people-to-people cooperation between the two countries. The Protocol on Cultural Cooperation between the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) of the Philippines and the Ministry of Culture of Russia facilitated the celebration of the “Days of Philippine Culture” in Russia with Philippine cultural performances in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Philippine Embassy in Moscow has been organizing activities annually that showcase Philippine music, dance, literature, food, fashion, and crafts.
The Philippines and Russia are also keen on promoting tourism and educational exchanges to promote mutual understanding between Filipinos and Russians. As the two countries celebrate 45 years of friendship, people-to-people exchanges will remain a crucial pillar in expanding their bilateral ties. END