Duterte says visit to Russia possible after China trip

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday revealed that he will likely head to Russia after his trip to China and Japan.

The chief executive said that Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev invited him to go to Russia during their meeting on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Laos last month.

"In that meeting namin sa Laos nobody knew it but I... we talked, kami lang dalawa ni Medvedev," Duterte said in his speech during the oath taking of officials at Malacañang.

"Sabi niya 'You go to Russia and we will talk about it. We have everything that you need here.' Pati pera siguro," the president added.

Duterte is scheduled to visit Beijing on October 20 and 21 in a move to strengthen the country's relations with China that has been strained by the maritime dispute over the South China Sea.

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The president earlier said that he will set aside the Scarborough Shoal issue during his trip to China.

Duterte has also accepted the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for him to visit Japan.

Abe also met with Duterte on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Laos and talked about Japan's plan to provide two ships and to lend five surveillance aircraft to the Philippines.