PH to host int’l youth event with Russia

YOUTH SUMMIT. The 5th ASEAN-Russia Youth Summit will promote mutual understanding and cooperation between the youth of ASEAN member states and Russia through various discussions and activities on Nov. 26-30, 2019 in Manila. Students and young professionals from Russia, Brunei, Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam will take part in the event. (Photo from Russia-ASEAN Youth Organization)

MANILA — The country, for the first time, will be hosting with Russia an international youth event dubbed the ASEAN-Russia Youth Summit on November 26-30 at Hilton Manila in Newport, Pasay City.

National Youth Commission (NYC) Chairperson and CEO Ryan Enriquez said 25 Filipino youth will be selected from among applicants to join the event along with other youth from member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In an interview on Thursday, NYC Presidential Staff Officer Cristabeth Madrigal said the Filipino youth will have an opportunity to learn and understand the significance of people-to-people connectivity especially between ASEAN and Russia in terms of education, cultural exchange, trade, business, and economy.

“They will also have the opportunity to interact with their ASEAN and Russian youth counterparts and learn from the ASEAN and Russian Discussants on people to people connectivity on education, cultural exchange, economy, trade, and business exchanges,” Madrigal said.

In a statement, Alexander Ivanov, Ambassador-at-large, who is responsible for contacts with ASEAN in the Russian Foreign Ministry, said the summits seek to launch a new communication channel between Russia and Southeast Asian nations.

In the previous year where it was hosted in Cambodia, Russian Ambassador to Cambodia Dmitry Tsvetkov said the summit was aimed at tapping the creativity of the youth.

“We are at a stage, where Russia-ASEAN relations need new ideas. The more ambitious they are, the easier they will be to implement,” he said.

Now in its fifth year, the NYC and Russian Federation and the ASEAN Secretariat organized the event carrying the theme, “Enhancing People to People Connectivity between ASEAN and Russia”.

They hope to promote mutual understanding and cooperation between the youth of ASEAN member states and Russia through various discussions and activities.