PH Embassy in Moscow Hosts Diplomatic Reception for 125th Anniversary of the Proclamation of PH Independence
Ambassador Igor Bailen reads his speech at the diplomatic reception hosted by the PH Embassy (Moscow PE photo)
MOSCOW 13 June 2023 - The Philippine Embassy in Moscow hosted its diplomatic reception on 06 June 2023 commemorating the 125th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine independence.
The event, which is the Post's first diplomatic reception to celebrate Philippine Independence since 2015, was held at Hotel Royal Radisson Collection, more famously known as the iconic and majestic Hotel Ukraina - one of the so-called "Seven Sisters" Stalinist era skyscrapers- where the landing Philippine legation was housed for a few months in 1977-1978 before moving to Post's current chancery. More importantly, the hotel offered the most competitive bid within Post's budget.
Following prior clearance by the Department, guest of honor was Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Yurevich Rudenko, representing Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who had earlier informally replied that he regrettably had a previous engagement. Rudenko was accompanied by a small team from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Third Asian Department covering the Philippines.
Other Russian government officials present were Senators Andrey Klirnov (Deputy Chair of Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs) and Lyudmila Talabaeva (head of RU-PH friendship group at the State Duma), officials of Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Economic Development, and Moscow City Government, which visited Manila last January/February.
Other Russian guests spanned the Embassy’s contacts across business (Russian-ASEAN Business Advisory Council Chairman Ivan Polyakov, Miratorg agribusiness giant, Aeroflot Airlines, etc.), academe (ASEAN-Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Moscow Lomonosov State University), culture (Gzhel Dance Company, Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory), media (Russia Today), and famous cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, who was part of the Moscow City Government visit to Manila last January/February.
Over 200 guests attended the event, representing at least half of the resident embassies in Moscow, and a majority of them are at the level of ambassador. All ASEAN embassies attended. Filipino community leaders were also invited for the first time in Post's National Day reception.
In Ambassador Bailen’s remarks, he delivered a paragraph in Russian - because 06 June is the International Day of the Russian Language, being the birth anniversary of the Russian national poet, Alexander Pushkin. More importantly, and as cleared by the Department, it was the best way to articulate PH’s position and prayer for peace between Ukraine and Russia in a diplomatic way, that both sides with the support of the international community should negotiate a ceasefire and a lasting settlement because their common language - Russian, should be a language of peace. Feedback was positive - some ambassadors from the “unfriendly” European countries appreciated my mention of Ukraine in the presence of Russian officialdom.
Finally, the food (halal reception-style hors d’oeuvres) served as an introduction to Filipino values and culture, highlighting two dishes each from Luzon (oxtail kare-kare mini paninis + fish lumpia and sauce shooters), Visayas (chicken inasal skewers with atchara + shrimp and salsa with Guimaras mango mousse vol au vent) and Mindanao (GenSan tuna kinilaw with pomelo soup spoons + Sakurab/Palapa cappuccino shooters). In addition to the usual wines, liqueurs and spirits, Post highlighted its own cocktail concoction - “Manila sunset”, marrying Russian vodka and Filipino mango liqueur. END
Top photo: From left to right (DAFA Col. Rhojun Rosales, DCM/Consul General Rober Ferrer, Ambassador Bailen, Commercial Counsellor Kristine Umali, and Stanislav Kondov, General Manager of Hotel Ukraina); Bottom photo: Ambassador Bailen with the members of the Diplomatic Corps (Moscow PE photo)
Top photo: The ceremonial toast between Ambassador Bailen and DFM Rudenko; Bottom photo: Ambassador Bailen with DFM Rudenko at the diplomatic reception (Moscow PE photo)
For more information, visit https://www.moscowpe.dfa.gov.ph, or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinRussia/, https://twitter.com/phlinrussia or https://www.instagram.com/phlinrussia/.