The defense cooperation deal being planned between Philippines and Russia is different from the Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States, said Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Monday.

“Military-to-military cooperation. It’s not the same with the US treaty, mutual defense treaty that if we were attacked they will help us. We do not have that with Russia,” Lorenzana told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo.

Lorenzana said a memorandum of agreement between Russia and Philippines that was crafted since the previous administration may be signed during the visit of President Rodrigo Duterte in Russia April or May.

Lorenzana said the memorandum will include the “exchange of military personnel, visits, observation of their exercises.

“The Russians said that they would like to have exercises with us, especially maritime but we will see if that is according to some diplomatic language,” he said.

Lorenzana said he is “sure” the memorandum will be signed. “After that we will have exchanges of personnel. They can send students to our school, we can send personnel to their school, and first maybe we will observe their exercises,” he added.

Lorenzana also mentioned they are expecting a Russian officer to arrive within the month to meet their Filipino counterparts. “We will see the list (of the equipment) that we can acquire after the memorandum of understanding,” he said. Robina Asido/DMS