Philippine, Russian Defense Chiefs Push for Increased Defense and Security Cooperation
National Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana meets with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu on 26 April 2017 on the margins of the VI Moscow Conference on International Security.
02 May 2017 MOSCOW – National Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana met with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu on April 26 on the margins of the VI Moscow Conference on International Security. It was the first ever bilateral meeting between the two defense chiefs.
Secretary Lorenzana and Defense Minister Shoygu welcomed the positive developments in the bilateral relations and agreed to further bolster cooperation in the defense and security sphere.
Secretary Lorenzana noted that Russia and the Philippines have enjoyed cordial relations since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1976, but “it is only now that we are set to substantiate our relations especially in the area of defense.”
He further stated that the DND is ready to conclude a framework agreement with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation when President Rodrigo Roa Duterte visits Moscow next month. The Philippines looks forward to enhanced security and defense engagement in terms of training, exchange of information and expertise, and port calls, among others.
He likewise thanked Russia for its support to the Philippines’ chairmanship of ASEAN, specifically the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus.
Defense Minister Shoygu stated that Russia considers the Philippines an important prospective partner in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region.
“We are encouraged by the progressive development of Russian-Philippine relations in the defence field. The key event in this context was the meeting of Presidents of the two countriesat the APEC Summit in Lima last November”, Defense Minister Shoygu added.
Philippines-Russia politico-security relations are on the upswing. In 2016, the two sides celebrated 40 years of diplomatic relations with high-level meetings (i.e. heads of states/governments, ministerial, and senior officials levels) as well as cultural activities.
A good indication of the burgeoning PH-Russia defense interaction was last week’s 4-day port call in Manila of the guided missile cruiser “Varyag” –the flagship vessel of the Russian Navy Pacific Fleet. The first of such visits were that of the anti-submarine ship Admiral Tributs and sea-tanker Boris Butoma that came to Manila last January. These port calls are part of the Russian Navy’s goodwill initiative to promote trust and confidence between the two sides.
In addition, a twenty-man delegation from the Presidential Security Group (PSG) visited Moscow on 27 February to 11 March 2017 to participate in a VIP Protection Training Program with the Federal Protective Service of the Russian Federation.
The upcoming official visit of President Duterte to Russia next month is expected to generate more momentum for the development of Philippines-Russia relations.
For more information, visit www.moscowpe.dfa.gov.ph. END
