Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s upcoming visit to take part in ASEAN ministerial meetings
On July 26 and 27, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will attend annual ministerial events held by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Vientiane. He will take part in foreign ministers’ meetings in the Russia-ASEAN format, as well as within the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
ASEAN is currently one of the most successful regional organisations which forms the core of the integration processes in the Asia-Pacific Region. The association has created a solid network of interstate institutions involving the leading world powers, including Russia.
This year, Russia marks 20 years of joining the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (the Bali Treaty). Signed in 1976, it is one of the fundamental documents for ASEAN in terms of ensuring regional peace and stability. Geopolitical tension has been escalating in Asia-Pacific, and against this backdrop our relations with ASEAN serve as an important stabilising factor in the region. Russia views ASEAN as one of the key partners in the context of carrying out the initiative to build a Eurasian security architecture as set forth by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.
The agenda of the July 26 Russia-ASEAN ministerial meeting covers cooperation matters in all their aspects, including politics, trade and economics, as well as social and cultural affairs within the framework of the five-year Comprehensive Plan of Action to Implement the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Russian Federation Strategic Partnership, as approved by the leaders in 2021.
Mechanisms governing Russia-ASEAN political relations have been quite effective, including the Senior Officials’ Meetings at the level of deputy foreign ministers. It held its 20th meeting on April 26 in St Petersburg. There are also Consultations of the High Representatives for Security Issues, which held its 4th round of meetings in St Petersburg on April 25, as well as the ASEAN-Russia Dialogue on ICT Security-Related Issues, which held its third round of meetings via videoconference on December 18, 2023.
The ASEAN-Russia Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime resumed its work and held a meeting via videoconference on April 3, while the Senior Officials’ Meeting on Transnational Crime met in Vientiane on June 28. Russia continues to assist ASEAN countries in capacity building and training personnel for their law enforcement agencies. Every year, the Federal Security Service and the Interior Ministry organise advanced training courses for our ASEAN partners on combatting terrorism and extremism, including online, fighting drug trafficking and crimes involving cryptocurrency.
In 2023, Russia’s trade with ASEAN countries increased by 14.6 percent to almost $22 billion. Accumulated investment by ASEAN countries in the Russian economy reached $3.5 billion in the first nine months of 2023, while Russia invested a total of $11.5 billion in Southeast Asia.
To promote cooperation in specific sectors, Russia and ASEAN undertake joint projects in agriculture, environmental protection, digital transformation, etc.
In January 2024, Russia became ASEAN’s digital partner. We maintain regular dialogue with ASEAN on the digital transition. The second round of consultations on this matter took place in Brunei on June 27. The agenda for this dialogue provides for approving the corresponding work plan.
The Year of Russia-ASEAN Cooperation in Science and Technology in 2022 prompted development of cooperation in knowledge- and technology-intensive industries. This activity was facilitated by the working groups on science, technology, innovation and education that will meet again this year. Developing smart cities is one particularly promising area of cooperation. A Russia-ASEAN conference on this topic took place in October 2023 in St Petersburg.
Business communities are intensifying their contacts, via such platforms as the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) and the Eastern Economic Forum offering regular business dialogues, including in the EAEU-ASEAN format (the most recent dialogue took place at the SPIEF on June 6). There will be a designated Russia-ASEAN session during the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit next October in Vientiane.
We consistently expand our humanitarian contacts. In 2023, the Foreign Ministry’s MGIMO University launched a master’s degree programme, The Politics and Economy of Russia-ASEAN Strategic Partnership, specifically for students from ASEAN. The programme has been extended until 2026 due to high interest from ASEAN countries.
ASEAN, the EAEU and the SCO successfully develop their links based on memorandums of understanding between ASEAN and the EEC (2018) and the SCO Secretariat (2005). In November 2023, the ASEAN Secretariat held the first EAEU Days.
The East Asia Summit is a forum for dialogue between the leaders of the Asia-Pacific Region on strategic political and economic issues, including strengthening regional security architecture. The priority areas of industry-specific cooperation include the economy, energy, environmental protection, healthcare, cooperation at sea, emergency response, food security, education and regional interconnectedness.
Discussions at the upcoming EAS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on July 27 will focus on preparation for the 19th East Asia Summit in Vientiane next October, including the preliminary results of implementing the 2024-2028 EAS roadmap adopted last year. The parties will exchange opinions on the topical regional and international issues.
Russia has coined a range of EAS initiatives. They include creating a mechanism of pan-regional cooperation on countering epidemics and restoring economic potential by stimulating tourism. ASEAN has supported our idea of strengthening the resource of civic responsibility by improving cooperation between volunteer movements.
We consider the ASEAN Regional Forum as one of the key platforms for discussing topical issues of the regional agenda, developing measures of mutual trust and preventive diplomacy, and boosting non-politicised practical cooperation in security.
During the forum’s 31st session on July 27, we will thoroughly discuss countering new threats and challenges, combating terrorism and transnational crime, disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and ensuring security at sea. We will summarise the results of Russia-Indonesia co-chairmanship in the Russia-ASEAN Forum on the Safe Use of Information and Communication Technologies in 2022-2024.
It is expected that the parties will adopt a ministerial statement on strengthening regional cooperation on the security of ferry operations, two working plans, on countering terrorism and transnational crime for 2024-2026, and on emergency response for 2024-2027, and several supplementary initiatives.
