MANILA -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to make his first visit to the Philippines, providing a big boost to President Rodrigo Duterte's efforts to diversify diplomatic ties and add another option for cooperation on top of the U.S. and China.
Putin accepted Duterte's invitation during the Philippine leader's state visit to Russia in early October, according to Moscow's ambassador to Manila Igor Khovaev, who said over the weekend that "we will do our best to arrange this visit as soon as possible."
