AUTHENTICATIONArmed Forces of the Philippines Sends Survey Team to Moscow
Lt. Gen. Salvador Melchor B. Mison Jr. (left), Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, meets with Major General Alexander Alexandrovich Kshimovsky (right), Head of the Main Directorate for International Military Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on 20 September 2017 in Moscow. (Photos by Col. Pastor and Maj. Valencia)
28 September 2017 MOSCOW – In preparation for the opening of the Philippine Defense and Armed Forces Attaché (DAFA) Office in Russia next year, Lt. Gen. Salvador Melchor B. Mison, Jr., Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), led a survey team to Moscow on 18-21 September 18 to 21.
Members of the delegation were Brig. Gen. Anastacio C. Cabading, Jr., Chief of the Management and Fiscal Office, Brig. Gen. Bonifacio B. Cebrian, Jr., Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Col. Rommel K.Tello, Chief of Staff of the Intelligence Service, Col. Dennis Francis V. Pastor, DAFA-nominee to the Russian Federation, and Maj. Pepito J. Valencia, Administrative Assistant.
On September 20, Lt. Gen. Mison met with Major General Alexander Alexandrovich Kshimovsky, Head of the Main Directorate for International Military Cooperation (GUMVS) of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. The two officials discussed avenues for military-to-military cooperation. GUMVS likewise briefed the Philippine delegation on the accreditation process for incoming defense attachés.
Meeting between the AFP Survey Team led by Lt. Gen. Salvador MelchorMison, Jr., Vice Chief of Staff of the AFP, and Russian Ministry of Defense officials headed by Maj. Gen. Alexander Kshimovsky on 20 September in Moscow.
Philippine Ambassador to Russia Carlos D. Sorreta welcomes the delegation at the Embassy of the Philippines on 18 September 2017. (Photo by Col. Pastor and Maj. Valencia)
The Philippine Embassy also gave a briefing on developments in Philippine-Russia bilateral relations, with special focus on the burgeoning military-to-military engagement between the two countries.
“The DND-AFP’s decision to finally open a DAFA office in Moscow after forty-one years of Philippine-Russia ties is a milestone. It signifies the Philippines’ seriousness in pursuing defense and security cooperation with Russia,” Philippine Ambassador to Russia Carlos D. Sorreta stated.
Ambassador Sorreta also noted that “the DAFA, being the official representative of the Secretary of National Defense and the Chief of Staff of the AFP, will play a crucial role in the implementation of the Defense Cooperation Agreement that was signed last May. The DAFA will also build on the work done by the Embassy in strengthening linkages with Russian military institutions and defense industry.”
“The Embassy warmly welcomes this decision and will certainly work closely with the incoming DAFA to ensure synergy in the Philippines’ relations with Russia in the politico-security and defense arenas”, Ambassador Sorreta stressed.
Aside from briefing the delegation, the Embassy likewise arranged meetings with the Swiss Defense Attaché and Dean of the Defense Attachés Corps in Moscow Col. Bruno Russi and Malaysian Defense Attaché Col. Mohamed Fadzil bin Ismail. END
For more information, visit www.moscowpe.dfa.gov.ph.
OFFICE OF CONSULAR AFFAIRS 
