Phl-Russia relations better than ever

Investments coming from Russia has increased a hundred percent.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte joins other leaders during the plenary session of the 16th Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club at the Polyana 1389 Hotel in Sochi, Russia on October 3, 2019. RICHARD MADELO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

With President Rodrigo Duterte about to wrap up his official visit and several cooperations sealed across sectors, the Philippines-Russia relationship is better than ever, according to the Duterte administration’s chief communicator..

“As you can see, since Mayor Duterte became President of the Philippines in 2016 and we started towards a path of an independent foreign policy, the relationship of Russia and the Philippine government has improved a lot,” Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar said in his interview with “Russia Today.”

One notable aspect that has vastly improved between the two countries is in trade where “investments coming from Russia has increased a hundred percent” and now worth “about 1.3 billion dollars,” according to the official.

Just the other day, 10 new business agreements have been forged between Filipino companies and their Russian counterparts.

Some of the deals include cooperation on information exchange and collaboration on business development aimed at the promotion of trade and investment between the Philippines and Russia, the exchange of information on investment environment and opportunities, and the memorandum of intent to jointly explore the prospects of cooperation in the construction of nuclear power plants in the Philippines.