27July 2016 — Philippine Ambassador to the Russian Federation Carlos D. Sorreta met with Mr. Alexei Frolov, Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad and Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo), on July 22 in Moscow.

Rossotrudnichestvo is the cultural diplomacy arm of the Russian Federation with the mandate to promote “an objective perception of modern Russia, its material and spiritual potential, and the nature of the country’s internal and foreign policy.” It spreads the Russian language and culture and promotes educational exchanges between Russian and foreign academic institutions, among other functions. It runs fifty-nine (59) Russian Centers of Science and Culture worldwide.

One of its flagship programs is New Generation -- a familiarization visit to Russia for promising young personalities (25-35 years old) from partner countries. The aim is to introduce them to the socio-political, economic, scientific, and cultural potential of modern Russia.

Ambassador Sorreta conveyed the government’s appreciation for making the Philippines a recipient of this program in 2013 and 2014. He noted that “it has indeed been an eye-opener for Filipino participants who included members of the House of Representatives. The visit to Moscow gave them an opportunity to see for themselves developments in the country and appreciate the potential for deeper Philippines-Russia bilateral engagement.”

In response, Mr. Frolov stated that Rossotrudnichestvo will allot slots to the Philippines in this year’s edition of New Generation.

Also in the meeting were Mr. Sergey Medvedev, Head of the Directorate for Russian Centers of Science and Culture Abroad, Ms. Anastasia, Head of the Asian Cooperation Department, Third Secretary and Vice Consul Luningning G. Camoying, Philippine Embassy in Moscow, and Ms. Oksana Zaitseva, Embassy Interpreter. END