President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is slated to travel to Kazan, Russia, on June 17 and 18 for the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit, marking 35 years of dialogue relations between the regional bloc and Moscow.
Malacañang confirmed that the President’s participation is pivotal to the Philippines’ current role as the ASEAN Chair. In this capacity, Manila will lead discussions reviewing the progress of the ASEAN-Russia partnership and exploring fresh areas for strategic cooperation.
Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro indicated that the Department of Foreign Affairs would release more details about the itinerary in a separate briefing.
“Ang Russia ay isang ASEAN dialogue partner at bilang ASEAN Chair, ang Pilipinas, pangungunahan natin ang pagsusuri sa naging takbo ng ating kooperasyon at relasyon sa Russia,” Castro stated during a press briefing.
The upcoming summit occurs amid a challenging global landscape, shaped by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, rising superpower tensions, and critical energy security concerns.
When asked if a private bilateral meeting between President Marcos and Russian President Vladimir Putin is on the agenda, Castro declined to comment, stating that the official schedule is still being finalized.
Nonetheless, analysts expect that potential energy cooperation will be among the key topics discussed during the event.