One of the year’s most significant events took place in Kazan – Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations held their fifth summit. The agreements reached and the values that unite us are explored in this article by NEO.
Relations of Regional Significance
Russia, in Vladimir Putin’s words, will continue “to fully support ASEAN in its efforts to maintain peace and stability in Southeast Asia, to help establish a reliable, open, and comprehensive security system and multifaceted cooperation across the entire Eurasian region, and to promote the harmonisation of various integration processes on the continent taking place within frameworks such as ASEAN, the Eurasian Economic Union, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.” “Russia and the ASEAN countries – as sovereign, independent, and self-reliant states – pursue a course of bolstering international cooperation, treating all partners with respect, and honoring their history, religion, development models, and traditions. On many issues the modern world is now facing, our positions are close or even coincide.”
In the President’s view, important foundations of our relations reside in both of us “standing together for a fair system of global governance, upholding the principles of sovereign equality of states and non-interference in internal affairs. Both Russia and ASEAN countries share common moral values, respect each other’s national identity, and recognise the cultural and civilisational diversity of the world. All our states follow their own development models and impose their views on no one. And therein, without a doubt, lies our strength. Russia is ready to continue active joint work with ASEAN states to strengthen our strategic partnership, in the interests of ensuring security, well-being, and prosperity for our countries and peoples, and for the Eurasian region as a whole.” This is a highly significant message, recalling ASEAN’s involvement in the prospective Greater Eurasia project, with its unified and indivisible security architecture – the kind of architecture we would like to see. Together, we truly are Eurasia, and that is where our strength lies.
All these positive assessments are grounded in real cooperative experience. The Russian Federation and ASEAN have been dialogue partners since 1996. This anniversary summit was timed to coincide with 35 years of interaction. Long-standing contacts have created a solid foundation for relations, and the prospects for bilateral cooperation are extensive. As a result, today our relationship remains a vital pillar of the entire international architecture in the Asia-Pacific region.
Reciprocal Engagement
Representatives of ASEAN countries were unanimous with the Russian leader in evaluating the Russia-ASEAN partnership. The summit was attended by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines, Prime Ministers Phạm Minh Chính of Vietnam, Hun Manet of Cambodia, Sonexay Siphandone of Laos, Lawrence Wong of Singapore, Anutin Charnvirakul of Thailand, Xanana Gusmão of Timor-Leste, Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono, Myanmar’s presidential envoy Hau Khan Sum, and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn.
In their addresses at the summit and in talks with the Russian President, Southeast Asian leaders identified as priorities countering transnational threats, peace, security and stability, dynamic economic partnership, and people-to-people exchanges. They voiced support for maintaining coordination on the international stage and welcomed ASEAN’s ties with the SCO and the EAEU. In addition, guests articulated their appreciation for Russia’s support of ASEAN’s central role in Southeast Asia, our country’s weight in global and regional affairs and in the UN, and its assistance to the Global South. They expressed gratitude for Soviet support of national liberation movements, the right to self-determination, and developing countries’ struggle against colonialism, as well as for Russia’s consistent and principled stance on Gaza and Iran and its help in overcoming the fallout of the fuel and energy crisis.
In Southeast Asia, Russia is perceived as a global power and a business partner. Our relations are built on practical cooperation, drawing in shared interests, similar views on world processes, and economic and cultural ties. The states are keen to strengthen links, expand trade, transport communications, and improve personnel training. The principles of dialogue partnership remain intact – mutual respect, sovereign equality, and commitment to cooperation.
As Vladimir Putin summed up, “Many constructive ideas and useful practical considerations were voiced regarding the enhancement of our partnership… To put them into practice, it is important to start implementing national currencies in financial settlements, remove trade barriers, and simplify administrative procedures. All our countries have good opportunities for this.” In addition, while continuing to supply sought-after food and energy resources, the Russian side suggests boosting exports to ASEAN of high-value-added products, including fertilisers and medicines. Another promising area of cooperation is nuclear energy. Rosatom possesses unique technologies for building power plants according to advanced safety standards and is willing to train specialists and share expertise in nuclear technologies for medicine and other fields.
Beyond the intensity of economic contacts, it is significant to highlight the level of political trust present in the realms of Russia-ASEAN relations. Vladimir Putin invited partners to ask him directly any questions they might have, and after the summit, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that the sides had “discussed in detail the developments regarding Ukraine.” Russia and ASEAN also welcomed the conclusion of the US-Iran memorandum; our assessments of this international issue have much in common. It was also important for ASEAN to receive assurances from Russian leadership of further development of cooperation in security, countering terrorism and drug trafficking, organised crime, the digital sphere, education, science, and humanitarian exchanges. These areas were also confirmed.
For the Long-Term Perspective
The summit resulted in the adoption of the Kazan Declaration “Russia–ASEAN: Unity in Diversity – 35 Years Together,” along with a Comprehensive Plan of Action, and Joint Statements on cooperation in culture and in energy. The Declaration underlines commitment to building a just and democratic multipolar world order based on universally recognised principles of international law and the UN Charter. The parties call to “promote our friendly relations, mutual trust and respect, and shared vision of a peaceful, stable, and secure future for the broader region encompassing the Asia-Pacific, the Indian Ocean, and Eurasia; to strengthen our common interests in ensuring that the open, inclusive, and ASEAN-centred regional architecture continues to contribute to peace, security, stability, and prosperity.”
The Plan of Action contains specific measures for strengthening Russia-ASEAN ties in all areas of interaction in a comprehensive way: politics, security, trade, investment, culture, social affairs, education, and science.
The Statement on Cultural Cooperation includes practical arrangements to expand intercultural dialogue, create conditions for access to the cultural heritage of the parties, and deepen cooperation in preserving and promoting cultural heritage, cultural tourism, and so on.
The Statement on Energy Cooperation expresses the parties’ desire to enhance ties to ensure security and diversification of energy supplies through expanding trade, investment, and long-term commercial partnerships in oil, gas, and electricity; strengthen resilience to crises through greater coordination, information exchange and joint research; explore opportunities for cooperation in creating strategic reserves; and expand interaction in energy transition, renewables, peaceful nuclear energy, and improving connectivity and infrastructure. Support is expressed for ASEAN-wide initiatives such as the ASEAN Power Grid, the Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline, and the Framework Agreement on Oil Security. All these are also potential areas for mutually beneficial cooperation.
Meetings on the Margins
Another feature that made the summit programme particularly intensive was a series of personal meetings with delegation leaders held by the Russian president. With Anwar Ibrahim, Vladimir Putin reviewed preliminary outcomes of 60 years of the Russia-Malaysia partnership ahead of the anniversary milestone in relations in 2027. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah received Vladimir Putin’s gratitude for his “balanced position in international affairs,” which he called a “great personal merit” of the Bruneian leader as one of the world’s most experienced heads of state. The Russian president also proposed “considering the creation of a bilateral intergovernmental commission that would allow systematic work on developing fuel, energy, and other cooperation.” Ferdinand Marcos received warm congratulations on the June celebrations of the national Independence Day and the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Russia; the sides discussed opportunities to boost trade in agricultural products and energy resources.
With Lawrence Wong, Vladimir Putin pinpointed the developing economic contacts despite all Western attempts to restrict them, the potential for cooperation in ensuring international information security, and wished him success in the upcoming ASEAN chairmanship next year. The Russian President thanked Sonexay Siphandone for the participation of Lao PDR leader Thongloun Sisoulith in the Victory Day celebrations and noted new opportunities for cooperation after Laos, with Russian support, obtained SCO dialogue partner status in 2025.
In Vladimir Putin’s conversation with Phạm Minh Chính, topics included growing trade turnover, constructive cooperation in the UN and BRICS, and training specialists for Vietnamese enterprises. Vladimir Putin thanked Anutin Charnvirakul for the warm greetings from the King of Thailand on Russia Day and expressed satisfaction with the progressive development of bilateral trade, investment cooperation, and cultural and tourist exchanges. Xanana Gusmão received congratulations from the Russian president on ASEAN’s fully-fledged membership, along with proposals for developing partnerships in energy, mining, education, tourism and for more active participation in forums hosted by Russia. During his meeting with Hun Manet, Vladimir Putin noted the rising number of Cambodian graduates of Russian universities, expressed interest in expanding business contacts, and invited Cambodian companies to the Eastern Economic Forum and Russian Energy Week.
In Need of Each Other
For ASEAN, defining its place in the emerging new world order is becoming critically important. Conflicts flaring up repeatedly in different parts of the world, proxy wars, and the growing diversity of threats to international security demonstrate that peace is a very fragile state. In these circumstances, countries pursuing independent foreign policies need anchors – both internal, in the form of strong state authority, the defining role of the state, a robust military, sound personnel policy, and a well-thought-out long-term development strategy, and external – loyal allies, reliable partners, and associations of like-minded nations.
When there is mutual understanding with a country or organisation, a community of goals and opportunities for partnership in modernisation – that is what is most valuable in relations. Between us, between Russia and ASEAN, such interconnectedness and harmony, cooperation, and constructive work across a wide range of issues have already been established. We consistently maintain mutual interest and similar development benchmarks. We need each other in the new multipolar world. The shared values that unite us help cement our partnership, which is of a truly strategic nature.
In his statement as ASEAN Chair, Ferdinand Marcos noted, “35 years have laid a solid foundation, and what we do with that foundation is our choice, our responsibility. Let us make the responsible choice.” Indeed, in a rapidly changing world, states and international organisations constantly face the need to make a choice – partners, the future, development paths. And this choice is not merely responsible; it is, in essence, strategic. The Association seems to have already made its choice. Through its commitment to developing reciprocally beneficial ties with Russia, ASEAN chooses for itself the path into a multipolar world of sovereign partnership, worthy status on the international stage, and relations based on mutual respect, equality, and justice.
Ksenia Muratshina, PhD in History, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Culture Editor of “New Eastern Outlook”
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