Russian journalists to visit RP

A group of senior journalists from Russia is set to visit the country early next month, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced yesterday.

According to acting Assistant Secretary Olivia Palala, the Russian media group will be in the country from March 5 to 12 under the auspices of the Novosti Information Agency.

Palala said the eight-man group will include Evgeny Umerenko of leading Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, Rafael Guseinov of Trud newspaper, Yuri Makartsev of Rossiskaya Gazeta newspaper, Sergei Agafonov of Novye Izvestia, Evgeny Shpakov of Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Iskander Khisamov of Ekspert magazine and Novosti’s Andrei Biryukokv and Tamara Shaknazarova.

Novosti is the equivalent of the country’s own Philippine News Agency (PNA).

"The visit of the Russian media group would offer a good opportunity to highlight (our) bilateral relations," wrote Palala in a letter to The STAR publisher Maximo Soliven.

Palala said the visit would also build on the visit of the National Tourist Association of Russia last year which resulted in the arrival of two charter flights of Russian tourists in Cebu last month.

The Philippine Convention and Visitors Corp. (PCVC) is arranging the itinerary of the Russian media group and will include courtesy calls on government, business and media personalities, including Soliven, Palala said.

The group will also visit some of the country’s top tourist spots in Manila, Cebu and Bohol.