BANGKOK, November 17. /TASS/. A group of five combat ships of the Russian Pacific Fleet arrived in the Philippines on a friendly unofficial visit, spokeswoman for the Russian embassy in the Philippines Nina Prakapovich told TASS on Wednesday.
The Russian naval task force that includes two Project 636.3 conventional submarines Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Volkhov "called at the port of Manila on November 16 and will stay there until November 18," she said.
"Aboard the corvette Gremyashchiy, Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Marat Pavlov was received by Naval Task Force Commander Captain 1st Rank Andrei Kuznetsov and a group of senior officers," the spokeswoman said.
Philippine Navy Commander Vice-Admiral Adeluis Bordado also visited the Russian warship, she added.
In his welcome speech, the Russian ambassador noted that "the visit by a group of the Pacific Fleet ships is an important component of festivities dedicated to the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and the Philippines and makes a contribution to strengthening friendship and cooperation between the armed forces of Russia and the Philippines."