Русский
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a meeting with Maria Theresa Lazaro, the Philippines Foreign Affairs Secretary on the sidelines of ASEAN ministerial events in Manila on July 23.
They discussed promising spheres of bilateral cooperation, including in trade, the economy and fuel and energy sectors, and exchanged views on current regional and international issues.
Russia- Philippines relations have not always been close, mainly as the country is a strong US ally and also has issues with China. However, there has been a recent warming, mainly due to increasing energy cooperation and oil supplies following delivery problems with Middle Eastern supplies due to the US-Iran war. Russian financial services companies, including microfinance are also operational in the Philippines, while supplies of food, and other equipment are also increasing, as is the tourism sector.
Compared to other ASEAN, Russia and the Philippines are only just forming stable trade and logistics ties. The total volume of bilateral trade between Russia and the Philippines amounted to about U$80 million in 2025, although that can be expected to increase this year due to Philippines oil purchases. The country received its first shipment of Russian crude in March, with more than 700,000 barrels consigned to Petron Corp., the Philippines’ only oil refiner. It has secured contracts for a total of 4 million barrels from Russia.
Aside from energy, the agricultural sector is booming with Russia now a leading exporter of pork to the Philippines, already a leading poultry supplier, and a recent addition to the Philippines approved beef suppliers. Filipinos are known for their high meat consumption, with meat being a crucial source of protein and essential nutrients. Average per capita consumption is about 29kg and has been increasing.
Pharmaceuticals and digital technologies are also priority areas of bilateral cooperation. A Memorandum of Understanding between the Skolkovo Foundation and the National Development Corporation of the Republic of the Philippines (NDC) was signed in September last year, and is the first interstate agreement in the field of high technologies and laid the foundation for the formation of a permanent platform for interaction between the innovative ecosystems of the two countries.
The Philippine Innovation Hub, which is being created, will become a platform for Russian ICT companies to enter the Philippine market and promote solutions in the fields of fintech, logistics, education, agricultural technology, cybersecurity, and smart cities.
In other signs of warming ties, the Russian President, Vladimir Putin has also been invited to Manila for the November ASEAN summit by the Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos. The event marks the 2th anniversary of the founding of the ASEAN bloc.
