GOVPH

PHL Armed Forces Sends 27-Man Delegation to Moscow for an Academic Visit

Maj. Gen. Herminigildo Francisco C. Aquino, Commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) Education, Training, Doctrine Command, presents a token of appreciation to Lt. Gen. Sergey Yudin, Deputy Head of the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on October 05.

The 27-man delegation of the Command and General Staff College of the AFP at the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in Moscow. (Photos by L. Camoying)

11 October 2017 MOSCOW –Philippines-Russia military-to-military ties gained more traction with the first ever study visit of a delegation from the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Command and General Staff College (CGSC) to Moscow from October 01 to 06. This foreign academic travel is an integral part of the Command and General Staff Course curriculum. 

The 27-man delegation was headed by Maj. Gen. Herminigildo Francisco C. Aquino, Commander of the AFP Education, Training, and Doctrine Command. Col. Cheston Valencerina, Commandant of the CGSC, also joined the delegation.

“For the first time the AFP CGSC included Russia in its Foreign Academic Travel program. This is a clear indication of the AFP’s commitment to strengthen mil-to-mil ties with Russia in support of the Duterte administration’s foreign policy rebalancing,” Ambassador Sorreta commented.

Ambassador Carlos D. Sorreta welcomes Maj. Gen. Herminigildo Francisco C. Aquino and party at the Embassy of the Philippines in Moscow on October 02. (Photo by C. Narvaez)

“We cannot underestimate the importance of study visits as a means to break barriers and stereotypes. This is particularly relevant when it comes to Russia. We have to see Russia with fresh eyes in order to sustain this positive momentum in our bilateral relationship. We hope that this is only the first of many more study visits of our military officials to Russia,” Ambassador Sorreta added.

On October 02, the Embassy gave a briefing on Philippines-Russia bilateral relations, with special focus on recent developments in mil-to-mil cooperation, and a welcome dinner.

It also arranged visits to key Russian defense establishments namely, the Combined Arms Academyof the Armed Forces and Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) of the Russian Federation on October 03 and 05.

Lt. Gen. Sergey Yudin, Deputy Head of the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, and Maj. Gen. Aquino discussed the possibility of cooperation in the area of military education and training.

At the FSMTC, the delegation was briefed by Mr. Sergey Bugakov, Head of the Asia Department, on the Russian defense industry and military-technical cooperation with external partners.

The CGSC delegation visited the facilities of two defense companies – Russian Helicopters and JSC 766 UPTK. Russian Helicopters is a major player in the global helicopter industry manufacturing civilian and military aircraft, such as the Mi and Ka attack and transport helicopters. JSC 766 UPTK is the manufacturer of Uran-6 robotic demining complex, Uran-14 robotic firefighting complex, and Uran-9 combat robotic tank. These military equipment are used by the Russian military contingent in Syria in the fight against the Islamic State.

The delegation was likewise welcomed by the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ASEAN Centre in the Moscow State Institute of International Relations University, where they exchanged views with experts on Russia’s foreign relations with the US, the European Union, NATO, ASEAN, and China. END

For more information, visit www.moscowpe.dfa.gov.ph.

Left: Members of the CGSC delegation listen to an expert describe the technical specifications of the Uran-6 robotic demining complex at the JSC 766 UTPK facility in Nakhabino district, Moscow region on October 04. Right: Members of the CGSC delegation check out an Mi attack helicopter (the “Alligator”) at the National Helicopter Building Center of the Russian Helicopters in Tomilino district, Moscow Region, on October 03. (Photos by L. Camoying)