MANILA - Manila Mayor Isko Moreno will travel to Moscow in October after Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Igor Khovaev invited him to an exchange program, Tuesday.
Moreno will meet local Russian officials to discuss local governance, traffic management and energy efficiency solutions, among other issues, Khovaev told reporters.
“I am convinced that Manila and Moscow have many common problems and an exchange of experiences would be very helpful,” the envoy said.
“It’s time to go to Russia. You will see that we Russians and Filipinos have a lot in common,” he said.
Moreno said he would “love” to travel to Moscow on his birth month to see if Manila could adopt Russia’s renewable energy program.
“I'd love to go. It is an opportunity for the people of Manila to learn something,” he said.
“We want to come up with ways on how we can generate reusable water,” he said.
Khovaev also told Moreno to send a delegation of educators and students to Moscow later this month to participate in the International Olympiad of Metropolises, a competition held in the Russian capital annually.
Diplomats from different countries have been lining up to visit Moreno since he took the helm at the capital and swiftly pursued a cleanup and reform program that has been drawing praise.
Manila, Isko Moreno, Russia, exchange program, urban planning, urban development, Igor Khovaev