ASEAN notes the improvement of relations with the Russian Federation, ASEAN and Russia should further strengthen cooperation in various fields, said the Minister for Youth, Education and Sports of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Han Chuon Naron.
“I am pleased to note a marked improvement in relations between ASEAN and Russia. This year we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the dialogue partnership between ASEAN and Russia, which has risen to the level of strategic partnership since 2018. This strategic partnership is based on cooperation in politics, security, the economy and socio-cultural sphere. ASEAN and Russia have many reasons for interaction”, – he said at the XII Convention of the Russian Association for International Studies (RAIS).
According to him, one of the reasons for this is that “Russia is playing an increasingly important role in the world”. As Khan Chuon Naron noted, ASEAN recognizes a shift in the global balance of forces to the east, which is accompanied by the rise of China and “the return of Russia to the world stage”.
“ASEAN and Russia should strengthen further cooperation in various fields, including economics, politics, security, socio-cultural direction, emergency response, conservation of natural resources, environmental protection, tourism, education. ASEAN welcomes Russia’s continued participation in the East Asian Summit, which has become a platform for strategic dialogue on the development of a comprehensive open, equal and inclusive security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region, based on universally recognized principles of international community about the law, respect for each other’s interests, principles of peaceful settlement of disputes and non-use of violence against each other”, – he said.
According to him, ASEAN and Russia could play an important role in maintaining regional peace and prosperity, as well as promoting stability and inclusive growth in the Asia-Pacific region.
ASEAN includes Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam.