Putin Continues Work at Russia-ASEAN Summit in Kazan

KAZAN, June 18. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin continues his work at the Russia-ASEAN summit, dedicated to the 35th anniversary of Russia’s relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Thursday is the main day of the event.

The Russian leader is expected not only to participate in two multilateral sessions but also to hold a series of bilateral meetings. He is set to meet with almost all heads of the foreign delegations that have arrived in Kazan, the summit’s host city.

Participants will gather in the morning at the Kazan Expo International Exhibition Center, where the Russian president will welcome delegation heads. They will pose for a traditional family photo before proceeding to the first session, scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Moscow time (7:00 a.m. GMT).

The session will open with addresses by Putin and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who are co-chairing the summit. Other delegation heads will also deliver speeches, and everyone will exchange views on the most pressing issues on the international and regional agenda. Besides, the parties will also review the main achievements of strategic partnership between Russia and ASEAN, outlining new goals in politics, security, trade, investment and humanitarian cooperation.

Four documents are planned to be signed as the result of the session. The first one, titled the Kazan Declaration, will "enshrine the coinciding approaches by Russia and ASEAN to international issues and the fields of further cooperation." Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov said earlier that "commitment to forming a fair and democratic multipolar world order, based on universally recognized principles of international law and the UN Charter, has been especially emphasized."

The parties will also adopt the 2026-2030 Comprehensive Action Plan to Implement Russia-ASEAN Strategic Partnership. The document outlines specific steps to expand practical cooperation in key areas, including politics, security, trade, investment, energy, transport, agriculture, digital technology, and science. Russia and ASEAN will also approve joint statements on the energy sector and culture.

Working breakfast, bilateral meetings

The heads of delegations will then take part in a second session, a working breakfast dedicated to integration processes in Eurasia. The event will also involve Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Secretary General Nurlan Yermekbayev and Eurasian Economic Commission Board Chairman Bakytzhan Sagintayev.

The participants will hear a report on the outcome of the June 17 Russia-ASEAN Business Forum, delivered by Sergey Katyrin, president of Russia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The session, to be held behind closed doors, will feature a free discussion.

Putin and Marcos Jr. will make statements to the media afterward.

The Russian president will then continue the series of bilateral meetings that began on Wednesday. Putin is particularly expected to meet with the prime ministers of Vietnam, East Timor, Cambodia, Singapore, and Thailand. Yesterday, the Russian leader held conversations with the Philippine president, the leader of Brunei and the prime minister of Malaysia. He also received Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

Russia-ASEAN summit

The current summit marks the 35th anniversary of relations between Russia and ASEAN.

This is not the first time Russia has hosted such a gathering. In 2016, the Black Sea resort city of Sochi hosted a summit marking the 25th anniversary of Russia-ASEAN relations.

ASEAN comprises 11 member states: Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.