President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in his capacity as ASEAN Chair this year, invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the 21st East Asia Summit in Manila this November, underscoring the importance of advancing a “stable, secure, and prosperous region.”
The invitation was made during their bilateral meeting, where both leaders discussed broader ASEAN-Russia cooperation.
Following the meeting, Marcos attended a gala reception hosted by Putin for ASEAN leaders on Wednesday night.
“The challenges before us are many, but so too are the opportunities when nations meet in goodwill and common purpose. May this gathering strengthen the bonds that unite us and advance the shared prosperity of our peoples,” the President said.
Russia is hosting the 35th ASEAN–Russia Commemorative Summit under the theme “Navigating Our Future, Together.”
Ahead of the summit, Marcos said he aimed to ensure that the gathering would produce substantive and forward-looking outcomes to deepen ASEAN’s Strategic Partnership with Russia and contribute to regional peace, stability, and shared prosperity.
He said discussions are expected to cover cooperation in peace and security, trade and investment, food and energy security, science and technology, digital transformation, education, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
“Guided by our ASEAN Chairship theme, ‘Navigating Our Future, Together,’ the Philippines will continue to champion ASEAN unity, centrality, and solidarity, and promote an open, inclusive, and rules-based regional architecture anchored in international law,” Marcos said.
First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos also highlighted the significance of the President’s Russia visit through a social media post, saying that while brief, the trip carries importance as it tackles issues such as food and energy security and fuel prices.
She did not accompany the President on the trip, instead seeing him off late Tuesday night.
“A long flight, a short visit, and a mission that serves millions of Filipinos and the wider region. Safe travels, darling! See you soon!” she said in a Facebook post.
In another message, she noted the demands of the trip, describing it as a long journey with only a short stay on the ground, but emphasized that the discussions are focused on issues affecting everyday life, including food and energy security and fuel prices.
She added that while the trip is demanding, it is undertaken in the service of Filipinos and the shared future of the ASEAN region.