President Rodrigo Duterte has accepted the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit Moscow.

”I welcomed the invitation of President Putin to visit Russia,” President Duterte told the media upon his arrival at the Davao International Airport late Wednesday night from 24th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Lima, Peru.

President Duterte said he had directed Department Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Perfecto Yasay and Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana “to undertake an advance visit soonest to firm up a substantive agenda with Moscow.”

Putin personally extended his invitation to President Duterte during their bilateral meeting at the sidelines of the APEC Leaders’ Meeting.

”We discussed ways to broadening and intensifying economic aid,” the Philippine President said.

In Peru, President Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jin Ping also held bilateral meeting where the two leaders agreed to ramp the implementation of economic agreements made during Filipino leader’s recent visit in Beijing.

”President Xi Jin Ping and I directed officials of both of our governments to use coordinating mechanisms established to ensure the timely follow-up and implementation of the agreements,” President Duterte said. (PNA)