Increased Agri Cooperation Discussed in PH-Russian Meet
Officials from the Philippine Embassy in Moscow led by Ambassador to Russia Carlos D. Sorreta (left) meet with Department of International Cooperation Director Maxim Markovich and other officials of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia to discuss further enhancement of agricultural cooperation between the Philippines and Russia, at the Ministry of Agriculture in Moscow on 04 March 2019. (V. Cara photo)
MOSCOW 27 March 2019 — The Philippines and Russia discussed ways to further increase agricultural cooperation between the two countries in a meeting attended by Ambassador to Russia Carlos D. Sorreta and Ministry of Agriculture of Russia’s Department of International Cooperation Director Maxim Markovich on 04 March 2019 at the Ministry of Agriculture in Moscow.
According to Ambassador Sorreta, the two sides were “keen on intensifying agricultural cooperation in the particular context of the agreement that was signed during the visit of President Rodrigo R. Duterte in 2017.”
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Russian Ministry of Agriculture on 25 May 2017. The MOU provides the framework for agricultural cooperation between the Philippines and Russia.
“We also touched on the results of the first meeting of the Joint Russian-Philippine Working Group on Agriculture which was held in Moscow on 05 December 2018 as provided for in the 25 May 2017 MOU. We both agreed that the meeting was a success and that we should build on that success,” Ambassador Sorreta said.
“We also discussed possible Russian investments in agriculture in Mindanao and market access for Philippine agricultural and fisheries products from Mindanao and other parts of the Philippines,” he added.
Ambassador Sorreta briefed the Russian side on the Philippine government’s efforts to bring peace and development to the southern Philippines, and the crucial role agriculture plays in these efforts.
The Ambassador said his meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture was also in preparation for the coming working visit to Moscow of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Pinol.
With Ambassador Sorreta at the meeting were Third Secretary and Vice Consul and Head of the Embassy’s Economic Section Grace Perpetua, Economic Officer Vida Cara, and Embassy interpreter Olga Kaplina. END
Ambassador to Russia Carlos D. Sorreta (right) shares with Maxim Markovich, Director of the Department of International Cooperation of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture, agricultural products from the Philippines (capiz ornamental plate and chocolate covered dried mangoes) after their meeting on 04 March 2019 in Moscow. (V. Cara photo)
For more information, visit www.moscowpe.dfa.gov.ph, or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinRussia/.