President begins Russia state visit

Presidents Rodrigo Duterte and Vladimir Putin will meet for the fourth time.

President Rodrigo Duterte leaves for Moscow at 5 p.m. Tuesday, his second visit to Russia after May 2017 when he had to cut short his trip as the Marawi siege erupted.

It will also be the President’s fourth meeting with Russia President Vladimir Putin. He will be accompanied by at least 150 businessmen from top local corporations.

The two presidents first met on November 2016 on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Peru.

After President Duterte’s visit to Russia in May 2017, they met again November 2017 on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in Da Nang, Vietnam.

President Duterte will visit the cities of Sochi and Moscow and is expected to seal several bilateral agreements during the five-day state visit.

World-renowned Bayanihan Dance Company and Philippine Madrigal Singers will showcase their talents before Russian audiences while a meeting with the Filipino community is also in the agenda.

There are about 7,000 Filipinos in Russia, most of them women in the service sector.