Russia says 'ready to cooperate' with Philippines on oil, energy supply
MANILA, Philippines — Russia said it will work with and help the Philippines find other sources of fuel in the face of rising oil prices and limited options.
Following a courtesy call on president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Marat Pavlov said Russia is "ready to cooperate" with the Philippines on sourcing fuel.
"We discussed this area of cooperation and we found out that in this turbulent period of our life, the Russian Federation could extend its hand to help the Philippines in much-needed oil, gas, and other sources of [energy]," Pavlov said in a briefing following his meeting with Marcos Jr.
Pavlov said they also briefly discussed the Russia-Ukraine war but said the president-elect plans to continue an independent foreign policy and that "he will cooperate" with the Russian Federation. The Duterte administration has sough warmer ties with non-traditional allies like Russia and China.
Some of the factors that have crippled the global supply of petroleum products, which led to the surge in its prices, include Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a European Union ban on Russian oil imports, and seasonal factors that have affected countries in the Northern hemisphere.
The Philippines imports gas from other countries so petroleum prices in Manila mimic the price movements abroad. The Energy Department has warned fuel prices will likely continue to rise further in the coming weeks.
WATCH: Why is oil so expensive these days?
In a chance interview on March 1, as reported by GMA News, Marcos Jr. said he does not think "there is a need to make a stand" on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He added: "We are not involved… except for our nationals."
On the same day, the Philippines joined a resolution at the UN General Assembly condemning the invasion.
Marcos Jr. shortly changed his tune in a statement released through his team as he appealed for sobriety and a peaceful resolution to the armed conflict.
"I support the unconditional observance of human rights and fervently hope that there will be no more targeting of civilian communities and civilian establishments," Marcos said in a statement dated March 4.
Meanwhile, Russia’s envoy Pavlov also said that their country is looking forward to continuing its "traditionally friendly relations" with the Philippines in other areas of cooperation as it is mutually beneficial for the two countries.
Egypt invites Marcos Jr. to COP27
Aside from Russia, Egypt’s Ambassador to the Philippines Ahmed Shehabeldin also paid a courtesy call on Marcos Jr. On behalf of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Marcos Jr. was invited to the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27).
Egypt is this year’s host and the event will be held at Sharm El Sheikh from November 6 to 18.
"This topic we talked about how just the international community to respond to the challenges of climate change and both share just probably we are different in geography and climate nature, however, we share the main concerns," Shehabeldin said.
Egypt’s envoy and Marcos Jr. also discussed opportunities for both countries in the agriculture sector as well as tourism. He said the two countries plan to further develop their bilateral relations. — Kaycee Valmonte with reports from Kristine Joy Patag and Angelica Yang
- Latest
- Trending
