29 July 2015 - A new round of Air Services Talks between the Philippines and Russia was held from July 22 to 23 in Moscow. The Philippine head of delegation, Transportation and Communication Undersecretary Jose Perpetuo Lotilla, and his counterpart, Mr. Sergey Seskutov of the Ministry of Transport signed an amendment to the 2009 Philippine-Russia Air Services Agreement that further enhanced civil aviation cooperation between the two countries.
In his closing statement, Undersecretary Lotilla said that, “the two sides worked very hard in these two days but I feel that we were able to come to an understanding that is mutually beneficial and one that significantly expands cooperation between our countries.”
The new arrangement allows Philippine carriers to conduct operations between any point in the country and three destinations in Russia, including Moscow. Also, travelers between the Philippines and Europe / North America will benefit from faster and more competitively-priced direct flights with the use of Russian airspace.
Major Russian carriers such as Aeroflot will also be able to market the Philippines as a destination using their wide networks and alliances, which will potentially increase further the number of Russian tourists visiting the country. “We are confident that the new arrangements will help us meet our targets for Russia and the CIS,” Philippine Tourism Undersecretary Bengson said. About 40,000 Russian tourists visit the country every year while more than two million travelers from Russia and the CIS visit the other ASEAN countries. With the new arrangement, the Philippines will have an increased chance of getting a bigger share of the market as tourists from the region will gain better access to its world-class destinations.
Another key benefit is the potential development of the Philippines as a destination by Russian cargo liners, providing a boost to trade and economic relations. Philippine Ambassador to Russia Carlos Sorreta expressed his satisfaction over the outcome of the talks: “The discussions covered a wide range of issues in our civil aviation cooperation. We are pleased with the way our relationship with Russia is developing and this was reflected in the last two days’ discussions.”
Members of the Committee on Transportation of the House of Representatives, namely Representative Cesar Sarmienta (Chairman, Catanduanes), Representative Alfredo Benitez (Vice-Chairman, 3rd District of Negros Occidental) and Representative Raneo Abu (2nd District of Batangas) participated in the proceedings. The panel also included representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Tourism and the Civil Aeronautics Board. Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific officials attended as industry observers. END