Members of the Committee on International Affairs held a meeting with the delegation of the House of Representatives of the Congress of the Republic of the Philippines, headed by Ann K. Hofer, Chairwoman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
During the negotiations, Ann K. Hofer spoke in favor of strengthening the Russian-Philippine partnership and inter-parliamentary cooperation. The Chairwoman of the Committee called for an increase of bilateral cooperation in the following spheres: tourism, education, labor migration and the fight against international terrorism.
“At ASEAN, we see Russia as our strategic partner. The obvious advantage of strengthening our relations is the promotion of common interests in the region,” Ann K. Hofer emphasized. She invited Russian parliamentarians to pay a return visit to the Republic of the Philippines.
In turn,
the head of the Committee on International Affairs Leonid Slutskiy
Leonid Eduardovich
noted, in particular, the need to increase the trade volume between the two countries.
“At the present stage, for our parliaments, the most urgent task is to help
increase trade level, which is extremely low, and expand economic cooperation
between Russia and the Philippines as a whole,” Leonid Slutskiy said. Besides,
he promised to join in solving the problems of Filipino citizens living and working in Russia.
“We also need to coordinate more often our interaction on interparliamentary platforms and in international organizations, as it is already happening within the framework of the ASEAN IPA, as well as in the UN structures,” the Chairman of the Committee concluded.
Philippine parliamentarians arrived in Russia on a two-day visit at the invitation of Leonid Slutskiy.
