Governor Davide and Philippine-Russian Business Assembly president Armi Lopez Garcia pose with Russian Senate President Valentina Matvienko during a dinner hosted by Senate President Franklin Drilon. (CONTRIBUTED)
Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III recently met with Valentina Matvienko, the first lady Senate President of the Russian Federation during her visit to the Philippines.
The two officials met in the welcome dinner hosted by Philippine Senate President Franklin Drilon at the Sofitel Manila. They discussed Davide’s upcoming 2015 visit to St. Petersburg, Russia.
Matvienko’s visit was arranged by Philippine-Russian Business Assembly chairperson Armi Lopez Garcia, who is also the Honorary Consul to Russia. The visit had as its principal agenda the formation of a joint working committee to discuss the road map of cooperation between St. Petersburg and the Cebu provincial government.
The province of Cebu has existing tie-ups with the Russian cities of St. Petersburg and Vladimir, and Cebu City with Vladivostok.
Matvienko’s first visit to the country signified the strengthening relationship between the Russian Federation and the Philippines.
Matvienko, during the dinner, encouraged more regional tie-ups between the Russian Federation and the Philippines. She also encouraged more trade between the Philippines and the Russian Federation.
Another brewing regional partnership between Dipolog City and the Municipality of Parnas of St. Petersburg is scheduled in the first quarter of 2015.
“Increased economic relations and investment between the Russian Federation and the Philippines would be good for the two countries,” Garcia said.
Before the dinner, Matvienko was received upon her arrival at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City by Russian Ambassador Nikolay Kudashev, Senator Koko Pimentel, Consul Garcia and members of the Senate Protocol Committee.