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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 2) – President Rodrigo Duterte once again invited Russian leader Vladimir Putin to visit the country and said that next year would be a good time to reaffirm ties.
“Next year marks the 45th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. I take this opportunity to reiterate my invitation to President Vladimir Putin to visit the Philippines, ”Duterte said during the virtual presentation of the credentials of the new Russian ambassador to the Philippines, Marat Pavlov, on Wednesday.
“It will be an opportunity to celebrate and reaffirm the lasting friendship and cooperation between the two countries,” Duterte added.
In October 2019, then-Russian envoy Igor Khovaev said Putin had already accepted Duterte’s earlier invitation. “We will do our best to organize this visit as soon as possible,” Khovaev told a news forum last year, ahead of the coronavirus pandemic.
If Russia goes ahead with the plan, it would be Putin’s first visit to Manila after Duterte’s two trips to Moscow, one in 2017 and one in 2019.
Duterte also thanked Russia on Wednesday for offering to provide coronavirus vaccines to the Philippines.
“We thank Russia for its offer to supply Sputnik V and share this technology in vaccine production with the Philippines,” he said.
The Philippine Ambassador to Russia, Carlos Sorreta, previously said that the transcontinental country may start producing vaccines for the Philippines from January next year. Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. also expects to receive COVID-19 vaccines by the first quarter of 2021, from Russia’s Gamaleya Institute and the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech.
Russia previously claimed that Sputnik V is 92% effective, reportedly surpassing the 90% effective vaccine from US drug maker Pfizer. The Russian phase 3 trial will continue for a further six months and the trial data will be published in an international medical journal after peer review, the Russian Fund for Direct Investment said.
Galvez said the findings from clinical trials conducted abroad will also be evaluated by the local Food and Drug Administration to decide to approve or reject the use of these doses among Filipinos.
Melissa López from CNN Philippines contributed to this report.
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