Secretary Lorenzana, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Laud Progress in PH-Russia Defense Cooperation
National Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana meets with Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin at the Ministry of Defense headquarters in Moscow on 22 August 2018. Members of the Philippine delegation were Ambassador to Russia Carlos D. Sorreta, Defense Undersecretary Raymundo DV. Elefante, Brigadier General Pablo, Senior Military Assistant, Third Secretary and Vice Luningning G. Camoying, Colonel Dennis Francis V. Pastor, Philippine Defense and Armed Forces Attaché, and Lieutenant Colonel Carlyleo Nagac. (Department of National Defense photo)
MOSCOW 06 September 2018 – Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana and Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin lauded positive developments in bilateral defense cooperation during a meeting on the sidelines of the 2018 International Military and Technical Forum in Moscow on 22 August 2018.
Deputy Defense Minister Fomin thanked Secretary Lorenzana for the firm position of the military-political leadership of the Philippines on the development of military-technical cooperation with Russia.
“Philippines-Russia defense engagement like exchange of visits, consultations and other confidence-building activities has been the upswing in the past two years. This is a direct result of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s foreign policy rebalancing which catapulted Philippine-Russia relations to the forefront of Philippine diplomacy,” Ambassador to Russia Carlos D. Sorreta stated.
In 2017, the Philippines and Russian defense establishments signed an Agreement on Defense Cooperation, which now serves as framework for military-to-military engagement between the two sides.
According to Ambassador Sorreta, this was a landmark document that paved the way for the establishment of the Office of the Defense and Armed Forces Attaché of the Philippines at the Philippine Embassy in Moscow in May this year.
Russia will soon appoint a Defense Attaché to Manila following the signing of a decree by President Vladimir Putin on the opening of a similar office in Manila.
The Ambassador also noted that for the first time in the history of bilateral relations, the Philippine Army competed in this year’s International Army Games which was co-hosted by Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Iran, and Kazakhstan from 28 July to 11 August 2018.
In 2017, the Russian Navy made three goodwill visits to the Philippines. This will be reciprocated this year with the upcoming port call of the Philippine Navy to Vladivostok in the last week of September.
While in Moscow, Secretary Lorenzana also met with Rosoboronexport Director General Alexander Mikheev, and checked Russian military hardware including transport and attack helicopters that were on exhibition at the International Military and Technical Forum in Patriot Park, Kubinka, situated just outside Moscow.
The National Defense Secretary was accompanied by Undersecretary for Finance and Materiel Raymundo DV Elefante and other high-ranking defense officials. END
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