PH Embassy in Moscow Seeks Closer Cooperation with Belarus
Ambassador to Russia Carlos D. Sorreta exchanges tokens with Belarusian officials he met in Minsk on 26-27 November 2018 (clockwise from top left) Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Alla Lomakina, Deputy Minister of Industry Dmitry Korchik, Branch Office Head of Belintourist Aleksey Strelchenko, and Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Belarus Chairman Mr. Vladimir Olakovich. (V. Cara photo)
MOSCOW 14 December 2018 – Pursuant to President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to expand cooperation with non-traditional partners, the Philippine Embassy in Moscow sent a delegation to Minsk, Belarus to explore areas of cooperation with the Eastern European country on 25-27 November 2018.
The delegation, led by Ambassador to Russia Carlos D. Sorreta, met with government officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and Ministry of Industry.
The group also visited the offices of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Belarus, leading heavy equipment manufacturer Amkodor, and Belintoursit, the largest tourism agency in Belarus.
“The President’s independent foreign policy means that we must expand relations not just with Russia but also with other countries in the region,” said Ambassador Sorreta. “Belarus is an industrial and agricultural powerhouse that has so much to offer in terms of cooperation with the Philippines,” he added.
During the meeting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both sides agreed to work towards the creation of a mechanism for regular political consultations. Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Dapkyunas also cited the two countries’ shared values and close cooperation in the United Nations.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Alla Lomakina expressed their readiness to receive a delegation from the Department of Agriculture in December to discuss closer cooperation in agriculture including trade in products and exchange of best practices.
Ambassador Sorreta suggested that the Philippines may benefit from Belarus’ expertise in dairy production and processing. He also informed that tuna and other fish products from the Philippines can now be imported into Belarus after gaining accreditation from the Eurasian Economic Union.
Deputy Minister of Industry Dmitry Korchik conveyed the interest of Belarus in supplying the Philippines with heavy equipment including giant trucks for use in mining as well as heavy equipment for construction and agriculture. He said that the manufacturer BelAz, for instance, can produce trucks with capacity of up to 450 metric tons.
The Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Belarus requested Ambassador Sorreta to encourage Philippine business delegations traveling to Russia to include Belarus in their itineraries to discuss opportunities for B2B cooperation.
Ambassador Sorreta gave Russian-language brochures of Philippine destinations to the outbound department of Belintourist and invited them to promote the Philippines to the growing number of Belarusian travelers. END
Ambassador to Russia Carlos D. Sorreta presents a token to Belarus Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrey Dapkyunas following their meeting in Minsk on 26 November 2018. (V. Cara photo)
Ambassador to Russia Carlos D. Sorreta inspects a model of a grain storage facility and tractors during a visit to Amkodor, a leading manufacturer of heavy equipment in Belarus on 26 November 2018. (V. Cara photo)
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