President Marcos Jr. Heads to Russia for Summit, to Discuss Energy and Food Security with Putin

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will travel to Kazan, Russia, starting tomorrow to attend the two-day ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit and hold bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, focusing on food security, energy security, and other areas of bilateral cooperation.

The ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit will be held from the 17th to the 18th in Kazan. As the current ASEAN chair, President Marcos will co-chair the summit discussions with President Putin, commemorating the 35th anniversary of ASEAN-Russia dialogue relations.

The summit is expected to adopt the 'Kazan Declaration 2026' and the 'ASEAN-Russia Comprehensive Plan of Action 2026–2030,' serving as a blueprint for future cooperation.

This visit marks President Marcos's first trip to Russia since assuming office.

On the 16th, the Philippine Presidential Palace held a press briefing, where Assistant Secretary and ASEAN Spokesperson Dominic Xavier Imperial outlined the itinerary. According to the briefing transcript, the commemorative summit will review the progress of the ASEAN-Russia strategic partnership and discuss cooperation in areas such as energy and food security, science and technology, trade and investment, tourism, education, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people ties.

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Russia. Imperial stated that President Marcos and President Putin will hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the summit to discuss food and energy security and exchange views on regional and international developments.

Imperial noted that Philippines-Russia cooperation extends beyond food and energy to include non-traditional security areas such as counter-terrorism, transnational crime prevention, and law enforcement capacity building, including intelligence sharing, training of law enforcement personnel, and combating drug proliferation.

On the socio-cultural front, cooperation includes climate change, public health, and disaster management.

Imperial emphasized that these collaborations will enhance the Philippines' ability to respond to emerging challenges and ultimately benefit Filipino citizens.

Additionally, Imperial mentioned that tourism exchanges between the two countries have been steadily growing in recent years. In 2024, the Philippines welcomed over 30,000 Russian tourists, setting a new record.