Manila, Moscow to sign cooperation agreements

Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Fri, 27 Sep 2019 09:01:09 +0000

The Philippines and Russia are set to sign several agreements covering practical areas of cooperation during President Duterte’s five-day official visit to Sochi and Moscow next week.

In a pre-departure press briefing in Malacañang yesterday, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Amelita Aquino said Duterte will witness the signing of the agreements following a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“President Duterte and President Putin will also witness the exchange of several bilateral agreements covering practical areas of cooperation such as culture, health, basic research, et cetera,” she said.

Aquino refused to divulge more information about the agreements to be signed since they are still being vetted and negotiated. She also refused to confirm if a labor agreement was on the table.

“I have mentioned health, culture, basic research, but the other agreements I am not at liberty at this point because there are still discussions going on,” she said. “It has always been our aim to have an agreement that will provide the legal framework for our Filipinos in Russia. So whether – like I said, it’s still under negotiation, but we do want to have an agreement that will give a legal framework for their stay in Russia,” she added.

Aquino also added that it did not matter how many agreements would be signed during Duterte’s second visit as long as they would be helpful to the country.

“We’re not targeting a number because it’s actually the
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