The President and Prime Minister Medvedev reiterated their commitment to further intensify relations between the Philippines and Russia, building on the gains of the official visit to Moscow last May by the President.
Their discussions focused on building more robust relations in the area of defense and security, in particular the fight against terrorism; working together in eradicating the scourge of illegal drugs, particularly the activities of international drug syndicates; and trade and investments.
The President expressed deep appreciation for the military equipment and supplies given by Russia, which he said have already been instrumental in the country’s determined fight against terrorism. The Prime Minister said that Russia will continue to support the President’s efforts in every way it can.
The two leaders also touched on the issue of the protection of the rights and welfare of their respective nationals who are in each other’s country.
The Prime Minister also congratulated the President and the Philippine Government for the successful hosting of the ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings and for the warm hospitality of the Filipino people. The Prime Minister visited Tagaytay yesterday.
As a reflection of their deepening relations in various areas, the two leaders witnessed the signing of eight government and one private investment agreements.
To aid in the fight against crime, an extradition agreement and a mutual legal assistance in criminal matters were signed.
To address our growing energy needs, an energy cooperation agreement was concluded. Russia is a world leader in the energy sector and has vast experience in all forms of energy.
Our infrastructure efforts will be enhanced with the signing of an agreement on transport education while higher education cooperation will also intensify with the signing of an agreement in this area. We anticipate the transfer of crucial technologies through these agreements.
An agreement was also signed in the area of communication, for us to share our experience in government communications.
To help facilitate trade and investments, we signed an agreement on intellectual property.
In the area of government auditing, we signed an agreement to share our experience in his area. Russia, a large country with an equally large bureaucracy, has turned to technology for more efficient audits.
For the private sector, an agreement was signed between Global Ferronickle Holdings of the Philippines and VI Holdings of Russia. This agreement is designed to support Philippine efforts towards industrialization.
