Marcos open to possible visa-free deal with Russia

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has expressed inclination to discussing with the Russian government the possibility of making Filipinos travel through Russia visa-free.

In a press conference in Kazan, Russia, Marcos said he “cannot find any serious objections” for the Philippines and Russia to discuss forging such a deal.

“We did it with India, we've done it with China. If it's something that we feel will be of advantage to both Russia and the Philippines, I don't see why not,” the President said.

“That's become the method, the order of the day now. And we very much would like to increase our tourists trade. So, that's something that down the road maybe we can look at,” he added.

Marcos, however, admitted that he was not able to bring up such a possibility during his short stay in Kazan for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Russia Commemorative Summit.

On the sidelines of the summit, Marcos was able to hold a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where he reaffirmed the value of sustained political dialogue and expressed optimism about expanding areas of cooperation, particularly in energy and food security. — BAP, GMA News