Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests,
To begin with, I would like to thank everyone of you for being here tonight to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Russia-ASEAN Strategic Partnership. As you know, on 13 July, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov participated in the Russia-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Conference in Jakarta. And following this really successful and productive event, a Joint Statement on the 5th Anniversary of Russia-ASEAN Strategic Partnership was issued.
The Ministers reviewed the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan of Action until 2025, adopted at the Russia-ASEAN Summit in 2021. They prioritised such aspects as high technologies, digitalisation and smart cities. The officials noted that cooperation in the fields of food and energy security has good prospects.
Another important discussion was held separately on countering new challenges and threats, including terrorism, drug trafficking and other forms of organised crime. Russia reaffirmed its readiness to expand and deepen the programmes provided by the Russian Interior Ministry and Federal Security Service to train personnel for the relevant agencies of ASEAN countries.
Special focus within our partnership is given to education. A working plan for cooperation in this sphere has already been finalised, and it will enter into force in the near future.
Furthermore, it is important to mention the relationship between the Eurasian Economic Union and ASEAN. This year we also mark 5 years since the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Economic Cooperation between the Eurasian Economic Commission and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. This partnership has good prospects. Discussions in this regard were held on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum in June 2023. And we are looking forward to welcoming ASEAN representatives to the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok in September 2023.
I would like to point out that further enhancing the Russia-ASEAN relationship, established more than 30 years ago, is increasingly important in the current turbulent period on the international stage. Strengthening ties with ASEAN and its member states has always remained high on the Russian foreign policy agenda. In this regard I would like to draw your attention to the provisions of the Concept of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation, which was adopted in March this year following a thorough analysis of the current international situation. Given the dynamically growing multifaceted potential of the Asia-Pacific region, the Russian Federation is going to focus on:
1) increasing economic, security, humanitarian and other cooperation with the states of the region and the ASEAN member states;
2) establishing a comprehensive, open, indivisible, transparent, multilateral and equitable architecture of security and mutually beneficial cooperation in the region based on a collective and non-aligned approaches as well as unleashing the region's potential aiming at the establishment of a Great Eurasian Partnership;
3) promoting constructive non-politicized dialog and interstate cooperation in various areas, including with the help of opportunities provided by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum;
4) countering attempts to undermine the regional system of multilateral security and development alliances on the basis of ASEAN, which rests upon the principles of consensus and equality of its participants;
5) developing a broad international cooperation to counter policies aimed at drawing dividing lines in the region.
Russia and ASEAN countries are united by a firm commitment to forging a more equitable and democratic multipolar international order based on the principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and interdependence. We consistently advocate efforts to strengthen an ASEAN-centric system that should remain the foundation of the Asia-Pacific region’s security and sustainable development.
Let me conclude by expressing my hope that today's event will inspire ideas and further exchanges between us in Brussels and facilitate even stronger cooperation between our countries, as well as between Russia and ASEAN.
