Russia-ASEAN countries: unity in diversity - 35 years together

The shared desire to build a fairer multipolar world, based on international law, the Charter of the United Nations, and mutually beneficial cooperation founded on mutual respect, brought together in Kazan representatives of Russia and ASEAN countries. However, the importance of the summit lay not only in its diplomatic language, but also in its practical translation: energy, food security, logistics, technology, and a Comprehensive Plan of Action to deepen the strategic partnership between Russia and ASEAN.

In an act of sovereignty and autonomy, the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, made clear their decision to deepen their multidimensional relationship with Russia, and this is reflected in the Kazan Declaration and fundamentally in its “Comprehensive Plan of Action for the implementation of the strategic partnership between the Russian Federation and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (2026-2030) with the objective of promoting and expanding multifaceted and mutually beneficial cooperation.”

It is important to underline what Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, said during the ASEAN-Russia Business Forum, when he stressed that today:

“Economic resilience is no longer defined solely by growth rates. It is shaped by energy security, food resilience, supply chain reliability, technological capability, and the ability to absorb turbulence and disruption, especially in an increasingly complex and dynamic global economy.”

In the Secretary-General's words, “As ASEAN's energy demand continues to rise, ensuring reliable, affordable, accessible, and diversified supply remains a strategic imperative. Russia's extensive experience in energy production, infrastructure development, and industrial energy solutions, together with the Eurasian Economic Union, positions it well to support regional initiatives such as the ASEAN Power Grid, which is estimated to require approximately USD 764 billion in investment. ASEAN welcomes greater engagement with Russian companies in LNG and gas infrastructure, renewable energy, power generation technologies, and grid modernization.”

Regarding food security, he stated that it “has become an economic, social, and strategic priority, not merely an agricultural one. Reliable access to staple products, fertilizers, processing capacity, and efficient logistics are increasingly important for long-term resilience.”

In this sense, the ASEAN Secretary-General made clear that “Russia's strengths in agricultural production, fertilizer supply, agricultural technology, and logistics align well with ASEAN's growing agro-industrial and food-processing sectors.”

This summit once again underscores the fact that Russia is not isolated, and that the governmental leaders of those countries, along with their educational, cultural, and business institutions, understand the importance of their relationship with Russia as one of mutual benefit.

It is noteworthy that the countries confirmed their willingness to promote relations of friendship, mutual trust, and respect, as well as a shared vision of a peaceful, stable, and secure future for a wider region that includes the Asia-Pacific, the Indian Ocean, and Eurasia.

For his part, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, as co-chair of the Russia-ASEAN summit together with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stated that “We need to increase cooperation in the field of peace and security so that our joint efforts contribute to peace and security and respond in a timely manner to all threats.”

During the main summit event on June 18, several documents were signed: the Kazan Declaration; the Comprehensive Plan of Action for 2026-2030; and the joint declaration on energy.

Relations between Russia and ASEAN date back to 1991, and in 2018, during the Singapore summit, the parties elevated their ties to the level of a strategic partnership. This shows the solidity and stability of this relationship in a “context of increasingly complex global challenges arising from geopolitical and geoeconomic changes.”

While, in France, at the G7 summit, its leaders were beating the drums of war, on the other hand the Russia-ASEAN Summit shows us that it is necessary to speak of cooperation and diplomacy in order to overcome problems together and achieve better days for the citizens of these countries.