Russia is offering to help modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and boost its standing as a military force by supplying it with state-of-the-art military assets and equipment.

“We are ready to supply sophisticated arms and weapons in order [to] improve the capabilities of the Philippine armed forces. We are open for joint training sessions, for joint drills and military exercises,” said Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Igor Khovaev.

The offer was made by the ambassador at the sidelines of the opening of the office of the Russian Defense Attaché in Manila on Tuesday, setting the course to a more strengthened military-to-military cooperation between Moscow and the Philippines.

Khovaev said that unlike the country’s other sources of weapons in its ongoing modernization program, Russia does not give “poorly rated” and secondhand assets and equipment. Instead, he said, they sell the best available products in the market, which are unmatched.

“We, Russians, we never offer, we never supply second hand, outdated arms and weapons. We offer the advanced defense equipment. And if we say that we are ready and want to help your country, to improve your defense capabilities, it means in particular that we are ready to supply sophisticated arms and weapons,” he said.

“And I would like to stress that if your armed forces have advanced arms and weapons, it would help your servicemen and servicewomen to eliminate enemies on battlefield, and it would help to save the lives of many servicemen and servicewomen,” he added.

Khovaev and Russia’s foremost arms exporter Rosoboronexport recently went to Malacañang to explore ways on how Moscow could help in the equipage of the military, and overall, in improving the defense cooperation between the Russia and the Philippines.

The ambassador said that one of the issues that were discussed during the meeting with President Duterte was how Russia could help Manila in dealing with extremism and international terrorism.

“Russia suffered a lot from terrorism. So we know very well what it means. We have a lot of experience and we are ready to share our experience with our Philippine partners and friends,” he said.

Khovaev said Russia is willing to “use all ways and means” in order to strengthen its military and defense ties with Manila because it is in the best “strategic national interests” of both countries to cooperate and work together. “We are ready to discuss any form, any option of our defense cooperation,” he said.

The putting up of the Russian defense attaché office was viewed by Khovaev as a meaningful step in the bilateral relations between the two countries, especially that it covers the “most sensitive field” which is defense and national security.

“And the opening of the first-ever Office of Russian defense attaché in Manila means that Russia is extending the hand of help to our Philippine partners in mutual defense and security. So it really shows that we want, and we are ready to become a reliable partner and close friend for Filipinos,” he added.

In saying that it is in the best interest of Russia and the Philippines if they work together, the ambassador highlighted the fact that security is no longer confined to a single country, but it cuts through boundaries.

“We are now living in a world where all of us depend on each other. No country, big or small, is able to ensure its security and defense on its own. Simply, because the current challenges and threats are transboundary. So there is only one way to efficiently cope with these challenges and threats. We need to combine our efforts,” Khovaev said.

“And this will be the aim, the purpose, the main objective of the Office of the Russian Defense Attaché here, namely: to combine, to improve; to combine the efforts of Filipinos and the Russians, to improve; our defense cooperation in order to provide peace and stability to the Russian Federation, to the Republic of the Philippines, and to all other countries in the region,” he added.

The Russian ambassador said Moscow is also concerned with the tension between China and the United States over the South China Sea since it also affects the stability not only of the region, but the whole world.

“We are concerned about any tensions simply because all of us depend on each other. It’s not possible to provide just one or a few countries with security. Security must be for all,” he said.