KAZAN – Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) serve as an important stabilizing force in the Asia-Pacific region amid ongoing global turbulence, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday at the Russia-ASEAN Summit held in Kazan.
Putin said the outcomes of Russia-ASEAN cooperation are tangible. "We have built a solid legal and contractual framework for bilateral ties and developed an extensive network of joint cooperation mechanisms," he said.
New dialogue platforms have been launched, and practical cooperation has expanded across fields including countering emerging security challenges and threats, trade and investment, energy, agriculture, digital transformation, science and technology, tourism, and people-to-people and humanitarian exchanges, he added.
The summit marked the 35th anniversary of Russia-ASEAN diplomatic relations and gathered heads of state and government, senior political figures and senior state officials from all 11 ASEAN member states, along with the ASEAN secretary-general.
At the summit, the Kazan Declaration was adopted, which underscores a commitment to building a just, democratic and multipolar world order grounded in universally recognized international law principles and the UN Charter, according to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov.
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Additionally, a comprehensive action plan for implementing the 2026-2030 Russia-ASEAN Strategic Partnership was approved, which outlines measures to deepen bilateral cooperation in political and security affairs, trade and investment, as well as cultural and humanitarian fields.
Putin noted that the summit yielded numerous constructive ideas and actionable proposals to reinvigorate bilateral economic partnership.
"Participants voiced support for both quantitative expansion and qualitative upgrading of bilateral trade, optimized trade structures, and scaled-up mutual investment," the Russian President said.
"It is imperative to shift the settlement of cross-border commercial transactions to national currencies, eliminate remaining trade barriers, and simplify administrative clearance procedures," Putin emphasized.
Putin stated Russia will boost exports of high-value-added goods including fertilizers and pharmaceuticals to ASEAN, while continuing supplies of food and energy, and aid the bloc's civilian nuclear power development.
At a post-summit press conference, Putin said both sides welcome the agreement reached between Iran and the United States to de-escalate military hostilities and negotiate terms for a permanent peace deal.
Both sides expect stability to return to the Middle East and the Persian Gulf, which will deliver positive effects on global energy and food markets, Putin said.
