Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama gave a thumbs up during the virtual signing of the “Agreement on Friendship and Cooperation” in September 2022 with (from left) Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin N. Garcia, Honorary Consul to Russia Armi Lopez-Garcia, and Councilor James Anthony Cuenco, chairperson of the Cebu City Sister Cities Commission. | Courtesy of Cebu City Public Information Office/Ruel Rosello
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is set to leave for Russia on Friday, September 8, to attend the 8th Eastern Economic Forum in the City of Vladivostok.
Rama, in a press conference via Zoom since he was in Manila as of press time, said that he could not say no to attend the forum slated September 10 to 13 because Vladivostok is already a sister city of Cebu City. It can also be recalled that Russia provided the Sputnik vaccines to the city during the vaccination stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
READ: Sputnik vaccines roll-out in Cebu City starts
Rama said that by September 17, he would be back in Cebu City.
Cebu delegation
Among the participants who will go to Russia he said are Lawyer and Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera, Lawyer Jerone Castillo, the legal and budget officer, Collin Rosell, city administrator, and Armi Lopez Garcia, consul for the Russian Federation, among others.
He said we would have a lot of meetings which would make him “very busy” as he would also be a speaker and a panelist.
Some of the activities that Rama would be attending are Agrobiotechnology discussion, Russia-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Business dialogue, and Eastern Economic forum.
When asked about the things he would discuss with the government of Vladivostok, Rama expressed that he would prioritize promoting what Cebu City has.
“When you talk about the sister city, it’s always the continuing ties, promoting goodwill, culture, art, tourism, and even heritage,” he said.
He would also be meeting with the Filipino community there.
Sister city
Vladivostok is the first sister city of Cebu City through the “Agreement on Friendship and Cooperation” in September 2022.
The signing of the agreement was held virtually and was attended by Vladivostok Mayor Konstantin Vladimirovich Shestakov, Vladivostok officials, and Rama and Cebu City officials.
Vladivostok is the second largest city and a port city in the Far Eastern District of Russia. It is also the largest scientific and educational center in the region.
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