DFA invites Russian businessmen to invest in PPP scheme

MANILA, Philippines - Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario has invited Russian businessmen to invest in priority sectors of the Philippines.

Del Rosario addressed over a hundred Russian businessmen, government officials, diplomats and Filipino expatriates and community leaders in Moscow on Philippine economic diplomacy at a dinner reception.

He invited the Russian businessmen to invest in infrastructure, agri-business, business process outsourcing, mining, tourism, creative industries, and medical travel, among other priority sectors of the Philippines.

In his remarks, del Rosario discussed the four key elements of Philippine economic diplomacy, namely, position or presence, promotion of products and services, partnerships, and capacity-building.

He acknowledged the role played by Philippine embassies, consulates, missions and honorary consulates abroad in carrying out economic diplomacy activities.

Del Rosario also expounded on the strategies and policies of the Philippine government in attracting investments into the country, establishing new business partnerships, and in generating a greater number of tourist arrivals.

He informed the gathering of the public-private partnership (PPP) scheme of the Aquino administration and of the recent partnership formed between the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Philippine Trade Foundation, Inc. in working towards the creation of markets that will cultivate economic development and promote the government’s PPP program.

The DFA chief stated that the Philippines looks forward to a visit of a Russian business delegation this year to explore business opportunities and establish meaningful and mutually beneficial partnerships with Philippine firms.

Del Rosario was in Russia for a historic official visit on March 12 to 14, culminating the year-long commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Russia.

He held bilateral talks with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the afternoon of March 13 to take stock of the progress of bilateral ties and discuss initiatives to elevate relations between the Philippines and Russia to a higher level.

The Secretary’s visit marked the first time in seven years that a Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary made an official visit to Russia.

During the dinner reception, he was able to meet with Russian Foreign Ministry officials, executives of key Russian and Armenian companies, leaders of the Russian-Philippines Business Council, the Russian-Asian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Filipino expatriates, the former ambassadors of Russia to the Philippines, the Philippine honorary consuls general in Yerevan, St. Petersburg, Kiev, and Vladivostok, the ambassadors of ASEAN countries and other diplomats, and leaders of Filipino organizations in Moscow.

Philippine Ambassador to the Russian Federation Victor G. Garcia III said the DFA Secretary had a fruitful discussion with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov on deepening and strengthening Philippine-Russian relations in various spheres of cooperation, such as trade, defense, disaster preparedness, tourism, culture and education, and of charting the future course of bilateral ties.