Phl holds Russia arms offer

Your traditional partners, your allies, have no right to interfere into our bilateral cooperation. They must respect the choice of Russia and the Philippines.

LORENZANA: Russian offer is okay, but could not be accepted now.

The Philippines may not be ready with Russia’s plan to put up a weapons production hub in the country, according to Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Wednesday.

In a statement, Lorenzana pointed out that while Russia may be ready to invest in the country, the Philippines may not be ready to accommodate the offer since Russia’s rifles are different from the Philippines’ standard arms.

“For one, they have a different caliber, meaning their rifles are different from our own standard rifles — the M16 and M14 or their derivatives,” Lorenzana said. “Their ammunitions are not compatible with our current rifles. Unless we totally change our M16s and M14s with Kalashnikovs, which we are not ready to do, then it is not feasible at the moment.”

It was Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Igor Khovaev who bared his country’s plan to invest here as the Philippines seeks “increased defense and security cooperation with America’s oldest Asian ally.”

Khovaev said the proposed agreement was subject to bilateral consultations and that “both sides are exploring opportunities.”

“We are ready to organize a joint production of sophisticated arms and small weapons here in the Philippines,” Khovaev had said.

Lorenzana, meantime, said the proposal was discussed during President Rodrigo Duterte’s trip to Russia, but he noted that Russia is “welcome to produce other defense equipment such as body protective gears and others.”

Previously, Khovaev said traditional partners and allies of the Philippines should not interfere in the country’s bilateral relations with Moscow, noting that the two countries’ defense cooperation is not against any country.

This comes after Moscow had committed to help Manila increase its defense capabilities to help in efforts for regional peace and security.

“No third country has the right to interfere into our defense cooperation because our defense cooperation is not against anyone. It’s not against any other country,” Khovaev said in a statement on Duterte’s recent visit to Russia.

“Your traditional partners, your allies, have no right to interfere into our bilateral cooperation. They must respect the choice of Russia and the Philippines,” he said.

United States President Donald Trump signed a law last year sanctioning Russia for its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, its support for Syria’s government and its suspected meddling in the 2016 US presidential election, an accusation the Kremlin has denied.

US allies — like the Philippines — that would buy weapons and equipment from Russia would also be penalized and could see the transfer of those arms disrupted.

The Russian ambassador, however, emphasized Russia’s readiness to boost the Philippines’ defense capability. He said the two countries would continue to share information and cooperate closely against terrorism, without conditions.

“We’ll do our best to help your country with no political conditionality, simply because terrorism is our common threat,” Khovaev said.