PHL, Russia foreign ministers to meet March 13

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Albert del Rosario will meet with his counterpart in Russia on March 13 to cap the yearlong commemoration of the 35th anniversary Philippine-Russia ties.   In a news release, the DFA said Del Rosario will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov  to assess the progress of bilateral relations since the start of diplomatic ties in 1976.   "The ministers are expected to talk about how to further strengthen economic, political and cultural cooperation between the two countries," the DFA said.   Both are also expected to exchange views on enhancing bilateral cooperation and charting the direction of Philippine-Russian partnership.   Del Rosario and Lavrov are also expected to discuss relevant regional and international issues.   The DFA said the visit is deemed timely as Russia prepares to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting on September 5 to 6 in Vladivostok. - VVP, GMA News