STOCK PHOTOS
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu is set to renew its sisterhood agreement with Russia’s St. Petersburg next month.
The Capitol announced on Monday, May 20, that a delegation from the province, led by Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, will be heading to Russia this June.
The Russian government has extended an invitation for Cebu officials to visit their country from June 1 to June 9, they said.
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Aside from renewing sisterhood ties between St. Petersburg and Cebu, they also invited Garcia as a speaker in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, where Russian President Vladimir Putin is also expected.
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In 2009, Cebu and St. Petersburg entered into sisterhood relations. It was meant to expand their cooperation in the fields of tourism, socio-cultural and economic development.
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Five years later, the agreement expired and was never renewed, the Capitol said.
Talks of reviving the sisterhood first surfaced last January, when Russian Ambassador Marat Pavlov visited Garcia for a courtesy call.
During their meeting, among the plans discussed was to enhance tourism and economic ties between Cebu and St. Petersburg, including the possibility of mounting direct flights from Cebu to St. Petersburg.