MOSCOW, Russia – President Duterte and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will hold bilateral talks on Wednesday at the Moscow’s White House.
The next day, Duterte will meet with President Vladimir Putin with the two leaders expected to bolster both their personal and their country’s ties.
The Duterte-Medvedev dialogue will be held at the Study Room of the House of the Government of the Russian Federation, known here as the White House.
Medvedev, 52, was Russia’s president when Putin was its prime minister from 2008 to 2012. He was appointed prime minister upon Putin’s election as president.
Diplomatic ties between Philippines and Russia started 41 years ago and made modest gains. Duterte’s visit is expected to stimulate the low key relationship as the Philippines tries to explore better alliances outside its usual ally, the US.
Duterte and his delegation of top Philippine officials arrived here Monday for a four-day official visit on invitation by both Medvedev and Putin whom the Filipino leader met on different international events last year.
The Philippine delegation received a red carpet welcome upon arrival at the Vnukovo INternational Airport in Russia’s capital city at 4 a.m. yesterday. On hand to welcome them was a group of top Russian diplomats led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Aside from members of his Cabinet led by newly-installed Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, Duterte is also being accompanied here by Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.
A group of congressmen, among them Reps. Rodito Albano (PDP-Laban, Isabela) and John Bertiz (ACTS-OFW Partylist), is reportedly included in the official entourage.
Business leaders from the Philippines have also been invited to attend the Philippine-Russia Business Forum at St. Petersburg on Friday.
The Philippines is expected to sign trade and investments agreement with Russia.
Duterte has disclosed that bilateral agreements relating to defense and technical cooperation, as well as mutual legal assistgance on criminal matters and peaceful use of nuclear energy is among his priorities in the visit.
“We will discuss ways of charting the future direction of our partnership across many areas and exchange views on regional and international issues to determine how we can best advance our shared interests,” Duterte said in his departure statement in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Duterte will be conferred a honorary doctorate degree by the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Russia’s most prestigious, today. He will speak on his independent foreign policy after receiving the honor.