Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte flies to Russia to meet ‘idol’ Vladimir Putin
- Leaders to discuss expanding cooperation in security and defence and combating terrorism, extremism and cross-border crimes
- Russia expected to offer defence equipment, including helicopters, warships, drones and tanks, to help the Philippines modernise its military
After taking office in mid-2016, Duterte took steps to mend relations with China which were damaged by territorial conflicts and reach out to Putin, whom he has described as his “idol”, while often criticising US security policies.
“While it is true that we value our long-standing partners, we must also be open to engage new ones,” Duterte said in a departure speech. “For the longest time, we have placed key nations at the margins of our foreign policy, failing to fully explore the potentials of mutually beneficial cooperation.”
Duterte is to meet Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow and hold talks with Putin in Sochi city on expanding cooperation in security and defence and combating terrorism, extremism and cross-border crimes.
A labour agreement that would allow more Filipinos to work in Russia was not finalised ahead of Duterte’s trip, officials said.