As part of the 7th
Eastern Economic Forum, a friendship and cooperation agreement was signed
between Vladivostok and the Philippine city of Cebu at the Administration of
Vladivostok. The document was signed by the cities’ mayors, Konstantin
Shestakov and Michael Lopez Rama, in a virtual ceremony.
Present in person were Robert O.
Ferrer Jr., the Consul General of the Embassy of the Republic of the
Philippines in Russia; Catherine Alpay, Vice Consul of the Embassy of the
Republic of the Philippines in Russia; Darya Stegniy, Deputy Mayor of
Vladivostok; Mariane Vida Cara, Attaché of the Embassy of the Republic of the
Philippines in Russia; and Vadim Vetolsky, Honorary Consul of the Republic of
the Philippines in Vladivostok.
“There is more than three thousand
kilometres between us, but distance means very little when it comes to
friendship,” Konstantin Shestakov, Mayor of Vladivostok, said in welcoming the
guests. “We are keen to establish stable ties between our cities in the most
varied of fields, from socio-cultural to economic. We can organize exchanges
for children’s and student delegations, joint sports and cultural events, and
all manner of master classes, especially given the opportunities afforded by
modern information technology, thanks to which we have been able to sign our
agreement virtually.”
The Mayor of Vladivostok added that
this year marks 46 years since diplomatic relations were established between
the Russian Federation and the Republic of the Philippines. Russian–Philippine
relations nowadays hold potential for deepening multifaceted engagement.
In turn, Cebu Mayor Michael Lopez
Rama expressed confidence that joint efforts would take cooperation to a whole
new level, and that the agreement would facilitate the implementation of joint
projects in different areas.
Photo: cloud.mail.ru/public/gum2/oCaQWGPKJ
Photo by: Yury Smityuk / TASS photohost agency
