President Rodrigo Duterte and the members of his delegation hold a bilateral meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and other Russian officials at the Prime Minister’s Office in Moscow on Oct. 2, 2019. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
The Philippines may tap Russia for oil and gas, the Philippines’s envoy to Moscow said on Wednesday as President Rodrigo Duterte started his second trip to Russia.
Ambassador Carlos Sorreta told reporters Russia, a major player in oil and gas, could help meet the country’s energy demand and eventually bring down high energy prices.
“That’s what we’re looking at. But we’re looking beyond. We’re looking at supply also to bring down [prices],” Sorreta said.
Sorreta said Russia was looking at setting up plants for natural gas, particularly in liquefied natural gas.
Russia may also help the Philippines add nuclear power to its energy mix, Sorreta said.
“It’s still very early for nuclear power…there are some talks, trying to understand what Russia can do and what we are ready to absorb,” he said.
Talks between the Philippines and Russia, however, are more advanced in the fields of medicine and radiology, as well as agricultural production and information technology, the ambassador said.
Two Russian brands are already exporting trucks to the Philippines, Sorreta said.
“Hopefully they will see and expand our capabilities to either build components or to assemble. Who knows, maybe one day [they will] manufacture [in the Philippines],” he said. (PressONE.ph)