Dmitry Medvedev meets with President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte

Transcript of the meeting’s beginning:

Rodrigo Duterte (via interpreter): Mr Prime Minister, colleagues.

First of all, I would like to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to you for finding the time to be here. I would like to thank you personally, Mr Medvedev, the Russian Government and all the Russian people for your support which we received at a crucial moment and which was very important to us. As you all know, we went through a very difficult military-political situation. We managed to defeat terrorism with weapons that Russia sent to us. One of three commanders of the armed gangs was killed with a Russian sniper rifle. This is the first thing I wanted to tell you, Mr Prime Minister.

As for the second matter that I wanted to touch upon: at present, two Russian citizens, Yury Kirdyushkin and Anastasia Novopashina, are being held in preliminary confinement here for drug trafficking. I would like to say that the investigation is ongoing, and it will determine if they are guilty. Time will tell. However, I will personally make sure that the conditions of their confinement are suitable. They are being held in comfortable conditions and I guarantee that the trial will be honest and fair.

To be continued…

Documents signed following the meeting between Dmitry Medvedev and President of the Republic of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte

·         Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of the Philippines on mutual legal assistance in criminal cases
Signed by Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation Alexander Konovalov and Minister of Justice of the Republic of the Philippines Vitaliano Aguirre;

·         Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of the Philippines on extradition
Signed by Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation Alexander Konovalov and Minister of Justice of the Republic of the Philippines Vitaliano Aguirre;

·         Memorandum between the Russian Ministry of Transport and the Philippine Department of Transportation on developing cooperation in transport education
Signed by Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation Maxim Sokolov and Secretary of the Department of Transportation of the Republic of the Philippines Arthur Tugade;

·         Memorandum of understanding between the Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Russian Federation) and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines on intellectual property issues
Signed by Head of the Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Russian Federation) Grigory Ivlev and Head of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines Josephine Santiago;

·         Memorandum between the Russian Ministry of Education and Science and the Philippine Commission on Higher Education on cooperation in higher education
Signed by Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation Lyudmila Ogorodova and Member of the Commission on Higher Education of the Republic of the Philippines Prospero de Vera;

·         Memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation and the Philippine Presidential Communications Operations Office on cooperation in mass communications
Signed by Deputy Minister of Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation  Dmitry Alkhazov and Secretary of the Philippine Presidential Communications Operations Office Martin Andanar;

·         Memorandum of cooperation between Russia’s Rosatom State Corporation and the Department of Energy of the Republic of the Philippines
Signed by Rosatom Deputy Director General – Director for International Relations Nikolai Spassky and Energy Secretary of the Republic of the Philippines Alfonso Cusi;

·         Agreement on cooperation and partnership between Russia’s Vi Holding and the Philippines’ Global Ferronickel Holding Inc
Signed by Vi Holding Board Chairman Valery Krasnov and Board Chairman of Global Ferronickel Holding Inc Joseph Sy;

The parties also announced the signing of the Agreement on Cooperation between the Audit Chamber of the Russian Federation and the Audit Commission of the Philippines. The document was signed by Accounts Chamber Chairperson Tatyana Golikova and Chairman of the Audit Commission of the Philippines Michael Aguinaldo.