President Marcos departed for Kazan, Russia, late Tuesday night, June 16, to co-chair the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit marking the 35th anniversary of dialogue relations between the regional bloc and Moscow, and for his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Marcos and his delegation left shortly after 11:55 p.m. on June 16 for the two-day visit, which also marks his first trip to Russian soil as President.

“Today, I depart for Kazan, Russia, to participate in the ASEAN–Russia Commemorative Summit, marking the 35th anniversary of ASEAN-Russia relations,” the President said in his departure statement.

“It will be my first time on Russian soil—a journey I undertake nearly fifty (50) years after my father, President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., made his own historic visit to the then-Soviet Union in 1976, which culminated in the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries,” he added.

The President said the 1976 visit by his father “opened an enduring chapter in Philippines-Russia relations grounded in mutual respect, dialogue, and cooperation.”

As Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Marcos will co-chair the commemorative summit alongside Putin and join fellow ASEAN leaders in reviewing 35 years of cooperation and charting the future direction of the ASEAN-Russia strategic partnership.

“Together with my fellow ASEAN Leaders and President Vladimir Putin, we will take stock of 35 years of ASEAN–Russia cooperation and help chart a course for the decades ahead,” he said.

The summit is expected to discuss cooperation in peace and security, trade and investment, food and energy security, science and technology, digital transformation, education, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.

On the sidelines of the summit, Marcos is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Putin, with discussions expected to focus on concrete areas of mutual interest, particularly energy security and food security.

“Beyond marking our golden anniversary of diplomatic relations, which were formally established on June 2, 1976, our discussions will focus on concrete areas of mutual interest, particularly energy and food security,” the President said.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the meeting may also cover regional and international issues and ways to deepen cooperation in tourism, education, culture, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges.

DFA ASEAN 2026 Philippines Spokesperson Dominic Xavier Imperial earlier said discussions on energy security could include oil, natural gas, nuclear energy, and even civilian applications of nuclear technology.

Imperial also said the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and its impact on global energy and food supplies are expected to figure prominently in the discussions.

The summit is expected to adopt several key outcome documents, including the Kazan Declaration 2026 and the ASEAN-Russia Comprehensive Plan of Action 2026-2030, which will serve as the principal roadmap for cooperation in the political-security, economic, and socio-cultural pillars of the partnership.

Joint statements on energy and cultural cooperation are also expected to be adopted.

The summit comes as the Philippines and Russia celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year.

“For over five decades, our bilateral ties have steadily deepened across trade, education, culture, agriculture, energy, science, and, above all, through the sustained bonds between our peoples,” Marcos said.

“We look forward to building on these foundations and opening new avenues of cooperation for the future,” he added.

The DFA earlier said the Philippines recorded more than 30,000 Russian visitors in 2024, the highest number on record, reflecting growing people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

Around 15,000 Filipinos are also currently residing in Russia, including workers in the service sector as well as engineers, teachers, professors, students, researchers, and artists.

Marcos reiterated the Philippines' commitment to strengthening ASEAN unity and cooperation with external partners.

“Guided by our ASEAN Chairship theme, ‘Navigating Our Future, Together,’ the Philippines will continue to champion ASEAN unity, centrality, and solidarity, and promote an open, inclusive, and rules-based regional architecture anchored in international law,” he said.

“As Chair of ASEAN, the Philippines is committed to ensuring that this Commemorative Summit produces substantive and forward-looking outcomes that deepen ASEAN’s Strategic Partnership with Russia and contribute, in concrete terms, to regional peace, stability, and shared prosperity,” he added.

“We travel to Kazan with purpose, and we return with renewed commitment to our partnership.”