Marcos arrives in Russia for ASEAN-Russia summit

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived safely in Kazan, Russia, on Wednesday to attend the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit marking the 35th anniversary of ASEAN-Russia relations.

According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), the President landed at 7:49 a.m. Kazan time (12:49 p.m. Manila time).

The PCO said Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella, and Labor and Employment Secretary Francis Tolentino were designated by the President as caretakers during his trip.

“Magandang araw po. Today, I depart for Kazan, Russia, to participate in the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit marking the 35th anniversary of ASEAN-Russia relations. This visit carries both regional and personal significance,” Marcos said in a departure message on Tuesday night.

“As Chair of ASEAN, the Philippines is committed to ensuring that this commemorative summit produces substantive and forward-looking outcomes that deepen ASEAN's strategic partnership with Russia and contribute in concrete terms to regional peace, stability, and shared prosperity,” he added.

Marcos and other ASEAN leaders are scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to review 35 years of ASEAN-Russia cooperation and discuss the future direction of the partnership.

“Our discussions will be anchored in key deliverables across the political, security, economic, and socio-cultural pillars of our partnership, spanning cooperation in peace and security, trade and investment, food and energy security, science and technology, digital transformation, education, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. This summit also comes at a particularly meaningful moment,” the President said.

The Philippines and Russia are also commemorating 50 years of diplomatic relations this year.

“For over five decades, our bilateral ties have steadily deepened across trade, education, culture, agriculture, energy, science, and above all, through the sustained bonds between our people. We look forward to building on these foundations and opening new avenues of cooperation for the future,” Marcos said.

On the sidelines of the summit, the President is also expected to hold a bilateral meeting with President Putin.