Marcos meets Putin in bilateral talks as Russia hosts ASEAN summit

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. held bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kazan on Wednesday, June 17, as Southeast Asian leaders gathered for a summit aimed at strengthening ties between Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit, which marks 35 years of dialogue relations between Russia and ASEAN.

According to Malacañang, discussions between Marcos and Putin focused on energy and food security, with the Philippine leader also inviting his Russian counterpart to visit Manila in November.

Marcos arrived in the Russian city earlier in the day for the summit. Joining him were Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Dave Gomez, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim, Philippine Ambassador to Russia Igor Bailen and Trade Undersecretary Allan Gepty.

The summit's discussions are expected to cover peace and security, trade and investment, food and energy security, science and technology, digital transformation, education, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.

As ASEAN chair this year, Marcos said the Philippines would push for substantive and forward-looking outcomes that would strengthen ASEAN's strategic partnership with Russia while advancing regional peace, stability and shared prosperity.

The gathering comes as leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) meet in France, where the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East are among the top issues on the agenda.

Putin has sought to bolster Russia's economic and political ties with Asia as Moscow continues to grapple with Western sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine. Russia has increasingly turned to Asian markets, particularly for energy exports, since launching its full-scale offensive in 2022.

The Philippines is among the ASEAN member states represented at the summit, alongside Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore, which sent their prime ministers.

Marcos' trip is his first visit to Russia as president and coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Manila and Moscow.

His father, former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr., visited the then-Soviet Union in 1976, a trip that paved the way for the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

“For over five decades, our bilateral ties have steadily deepened across trade, education, culture, agriculture, energy, science, and, above all, through the sustained bonds between our peoples,” Marcos said before leaving for Russia. — with a report from Agence France-Presse