The visit comes as President Rodrigo Duterte seeks to forge closer military ties with Russia to demonstrate a foreign policy that is independent of the country's longtime ally, the US
DUTERTE'S FOREIGN POLICY. President Rodrigo Duterte sits between Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (L) and Indonesia's President Joko Widodo at the gala dinner during the ASEAN Summit in Vientiane on September 7, 2016. Photo by Noel Celis/AFP
Two Russian Navy warships will make a stop at the South Harbor in Manila on January 3 for a 4-day goodwill visit that will include activities to be attended by the Russian ambassador to the Philippines.
Anti-submarine ship Admiral Tributs and Sea Tanker Boris Butoma will call at the harbor's Pier 15 Wednesday morning next week, January 3, according to an advisory from the Philippine Navy.
The visit comes as President Rodrigo Duterte seeks to forge closer military ties with Russia – along with China – to demonstrate a foreign policy that is independent of the country's longtime ally, the US.
"A Russian Pacific Fleet Hydrographic Vessel docked at South Harbor Manila from May 19-23 only for resupply, replenishment and crew rest. There was no Navy-to-Navy interaction," said Lieutenant Commander Marineth Domingo, director of the naval Public Affairs Office.
Russian Navy Pacific Deputy Commander Rear Admiral Eduard Mikhailov will lead the fleet as they participate in goodwill games with the Philippine Navy. The Russian Marines will also have a capability demonstration.
Russian ambassador Igor Khovaev will hold a press conference onboard one of the ships, which will be opened to civilians who want a tour.
Russian President Vladimir Putin personally invited Duterte to visit Moscow during their bilateral meeting at the APEC Summit in Peru last month.
Duterte has made pronouncements that he is considering holding joint military exercises with either Russia or China, while threatening to end the decades-long tradition of war games between the Philippines and the US.
Last month, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana confirmed that war games with the Americans will be reduced. The annual Balikatan exercises will continue but they will be limited to counterterrorism, humanitarian relief and disaster response, engineering projects, and civic actions.
Two other major exercises – the Philippine-US Amphibious Landing Exercises (Phiblex) and Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) – were scrapped.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/157028-russian-warships-philippines
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