They have invited several guests from different countries and I understand that this will also be the first time that they will be inviting leaders to address the plenary session.

President Rodrigo Duterte will be picking up from where he left off two years ago when he makes his second visit to Russia next week.

After cutting short his trip to Moscow in 2017 due to the armed conflict that erupted in Marawi City, the Chief Executive will have his hands full this time around as he is set to speak at the plenary of the prestigious Valdai Forum, deliver a lecture at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, and have his much awaited face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his official visit on 1 to 5 October.

The trip is upon the invitation of Putin who the President called his “favorite hero” in previous occasions.

“The Valdai Discussion Club is one of Russia’s prominent and respected think tanks and discussion groups. It organizes annually the Valdai Forum where top Russian and international officials as well as policymakers, academics and journalists are invited,” Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Assistant Secretary Amelita Aquino said in a predeparture briefing in Malacañang.

“They have invited several guests from different countries and I understand that this will also be the first time that they will be inviting leaders to address the plenary session,” Aquino added, highlighting the fact that it is the first time a sitting Philippine leader will be gracing the event.

She said the President is being given the leeway to “talk on any subject related to the theme” — “The World Order Seen from the East.”

However, she could not confirm if the Chief Executive will touch on his administration’s campaign against illegal drugs and corruption in his speech.

“I don’t want to preempt what he will say, but we did submit our inputs but it will still be up to the President to give his views on the topic. But I don’t want to really go into the details because I don’t want to preempt him,” stated the DFA official.

“It’s the Office of the President that does the final text, so I don’t want to speculate what the President will say or will not say,” Aquino added.

Mr. Duterte’s lecture at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, meanwhile, was originally among his scheduled activities two years ago but had to cancel because he had to rush back to Manila to attend to the Marawi City security crisis.

“It’s actually a university that trains the future diplomats of Moscow. And it’s one of the most — when it comes to the area of diplomacy and international relations, it’s one of the leading institutions in Russia,” Aquino added.

The highlight of the President’s visit would still be his scheduled sit down with Putin, which will be their fourth bilateral meeting where both leaders will be discussing the Philippines and Russia’s relations and how both countries can further enhance and expand cooperation in various areas.

They will be witnessing the signing of several agreements in the areas of health, culture, basic research and labor.

Other deals are still “under negotiation,” Aquino said. “I think we are not targeting a number because it’s actually the quality and what we get from the agreements. You can have one or two agreements, but it is something that will really be useful for us,” she stated.

“You can have 10 agreements that might not mean anything. So, we’re not really targeting but we’re looking at the agreements that we need and that we can get cooperation from Russia,” she added.

While there, the Chief Executive will also be meeting the Filipino community who Aquino said is “very excited and eager” to meet him.

To date, there are almost 7,000 Filipinos based in Russia — mostly women — who are employed in the service sector and that Mr. Duterte will try to “meet with as many Filipinos as he can,” she said.

At the prominent Valdai Forum, the President is expected to share Manila’s view on the emerging world order.

During the speaking engagement, the Chief Executive may also include in his statement an explanation of the country’s independent foreign policy.

Since he will be talking to specific groups, particularly intellectuals, academe, and journalists from Russia, then he’s expected to also provide an overview of how important Philippine-Russia relations are.