What is the Russia–ASEAN Business Forum?
The Russia–ASEAN Business Forum was held on June 17 in Kazan at the Bashir Rameev IT Park. The main theme of the event was "Russia–ASEAN: Partnership without Borders." Among the key topics of the forum are traditional spiritual and moral values and models of state-religious relations in Russia and the ASEAN countries, the development of cooperation in the field of IT and AI, international trade, food security, transport and logistics connectivity, as well as EAEU–ASEAN cooperation in energy, infrastructure and industrial cooperation.
Opening of the Russia–ASEAN Business Forum
"Russia has consistently strengthened cooperation with the organization's member states, which are among the most dynamically developing economies in the world and important partners of the country in the Asia-Pacific region. Cooperation covers a wide range of areas, from trade and investment to digital transformation, energy, and humanitarian exchanges. The Kazan Business Forum will create additional opportunities for direct dialogue between government, business and experts, identify new growth points and form practical mechanisms for mutually beneficial cooperation," said Anton Kobyakov, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation and Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee for the Russia–ASEAN Summit.
The forum was attended by such dignitaries as ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kimhorn, Cambodian Minister of Commerce Cham Nimul, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Vladimir Ilyichev, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry of the Philippines Allan B. Gepty, President of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Laos Udet Suvanavong, CEO of LinkAja Yogi Rizkian Bahar, Chairman of EXIM Bank Malaysia Dato Charon Wardini Mokhzani, Minister for Integration and Macroeconomics of the EEC Daniyar Imanaliev and others.
Development of cooperation in the field of information technology and AI: fintech and «smart» cities
Russia and the ASEAN countries demonstrate mutual interest in sharing solutions in the field of digital payments, electronic document management and the creation of a sovereign IT infrastructure. At the same time, differences in digital regulatory regimes and industry legislation hinder the development of practical cooperation. At the session "Developing cooperation in the field of information technology and AI: Fintech and Smart Cities", they discussed what measures should be taken to scale successful collaboration practices in the field of digital solutions. Also, during the discussion, the question was raised about which Russian digital products could be of interest to partners from ASEAN countries.
Session "Development of cooperation in the field of information technology and AI: Fintech and smart cities"
"We need to talk about the health corridor between Russia and ASEAN. It will be a platform connecting government organizations, universities, startups, investors, innovation hubs, and technology companies. Today, longevity technologies serve only 1% of the population, but we have the opportunity to democratize this area," said Christina Amor Maklang, co–founder, Secretary General of the International Association of Digital Economies (IDEA) and head of Digital Pilipinas.
Traditional spiritual and moral values and models of state-religious relations in Russia and the ASEAN countries
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) unites states with very different religious and cultural landscapes: Buddhism (Thailand, Myanmar, Laos), Christianity (Philippines), Islam (Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei), secular models (Singapore, Vietnam). Each country has developed a specific system of state-religious interaction that promotes the development of the state in accordance with its history and cultural code. At the same time, these countries often operate on the basis of so-called Asian values: non-interference, consensus and dialogue, peaceful settlement, collectivism and paternalism, flexibility and a developed system of informal interactions.
Russia and the ASEAN countries undoubtedly have many things in common: a multinational and multi-religious world, commitment to values different from Western countries, despite the difference in wording. The format of exchanging experiences and opinions on the topic of values and traditions of state-religious interaction as factors of preserving social and political stability is able to reflect the potential that they carry at the present time and outline the contours of a joint future in a multipolar world. This is exactly what the session "Traditional spiritual and moral values and models of state-religious relations in Russia and the ASEAN countries" was dedicated to.
Mikhail Melekh and Metropolitan Kirill at the session "Traditional Spiritual and Moral Values and Models of state-religious relations in Russia and the ASEAN countries"
"With the fundamental documents on the protection of human rights in hand, it would seem that there is no need to return to the issue of protecting believers at all. But the reality looks completely different. The level of conflict is now higher than ever. All regions are affected, without exception. Neoliberalism brings practically freedom without borders; He is opposed by a deep concept of traditional values embedded in the teachings of all world religions," said Mikhail Melekh, Special Representative of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation for international cooperation in ensuring the right to freedom of religion.
International trade, food security, and transport and logistics connectivity between Russia and the ASEAN countries
Currently, the dialogue partnership between Russia and ASEAN, having crossed the 35-year milestone, is at the stage of forming a new, pragmatic trade and economic agenda. In the context of the restructuring of global economic relations and the transformation of global food markets, it is necessary to create new logistics routes that will reduce the vulnerability of imports of critical goods to the markets of ASEAN countries. The following questions were raised at the session "International Trade, Food Security and transport and Logistics connectivity between Russia and the ASEAN countries": what logistics solutions will expand supply channels for consumers from Southeast Asia and what steps need to be taken to improve trade mechanisms and create reliable logistics chains?
"We act not only as exporters. It is fundamentally important for us to have balanced trade with the ASEAN countries. A trade turnover close to the balance sheet will allow us to work much more efficiently and confidently in national currencies," said Vladimir Ilyichev, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.
EAEU–ASEAN Partnership: cooperation in the field of energy, infrastructure and industrial cooperation
The EAEU–ASEAN dialogue is a successful example of cooperation between international integration associations, which makes it possible to strengthen practical trade and economic ties. The mutual interest of the business communities in expanding contacts creates a high potential for developing cooperation in such strategic areas as digital transformation, artificial intelligence, energy, infrastructure development and industrial cooperation. During the session "Partnership within the EAEU – ASEAN: interaction in the field of energy, infrastructure and industrial cooperation", each speaker spoke about what measures are needed to ensure the further sustainable development of EAEU–ASEAN business cooperation in the context of global economic turbulence and in which sectors a mutual positive economic effect is most likely.
Udet Suwanavong at the session "Partnership within the EAEU – ASEAN: interaction in the field of energy, infrastructure and industrial cooperation"
"Do not think that Laos is just a small market of 7 million people. We can connect China and the eastern part of Asia. Transportation to Russia and Belarus is already cheaper. Laos should be considered as a platform for the whole of Asia," Udet Suwanavong, President of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Laos, concluded at the session.
What is the Russia–ASEAN summit?
The Russia–ASEAN Anniversary Summit was held from June 17 to 19, 2026 in Kazan at the Kazan Expo International Exhibition Center. Representatives of all 11 countries of the association arrived in the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. These are the delegations of Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, East Timor, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines. The plenary session of the summit was opened by the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and the President of the Philippines, F. Marcos, who is chairing ASEAN in 2026. One of the main topics of the summit was energy, in connection with the conflict in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and President of the Philippines F. Marcos at the Russia–ASEAN summit "
ASEAN enjoys authority all over the world, not only in the Asia-Pacific region, this association is based on generally recognized norms of international law and mutual consideration of interests. These principles are the basis of Russia's relations with ASEAN," said Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation.
First of all, the summit confirmed the strategic importance of ASEAN-Russia relations in a complex and rapidly changing international and regional environment. The personal participation of most of the ASEAN heads of state and the Russian President eight years after the ASEAN-Russia relations were elevated to the level of a strategic partnership in 2018, as well as the firm commitments made at the summit, attest to the high importance of these relations for both sides. They are considered as one of the key channels for developing dialogue and cooperation, strengthening strategic trust and promoting peace, stability and development in both regions.
At the same time, the summit formed the strategic framework and guidelines for the development of ASEAN-Russia relations at a new stage. The Kazan Declaration of 2026 defined the strategic framework and key principles of bilateral cooperation, while the ASEAN-Russia Action Plan for 2026-2030 specified these areas, identifying priority areas of interaction, mechanisms and measures for their implementation. In addition, for the first time, the leaders of ASEAN and Russia held a separate discussion on Eurasian integration, exchanging their vision of forming a broader and long-term cooperation space.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of delegations at the plenary session of the Russia–ASEAN summit "
«We have confirmed our desire to strengthen cooperation in the fields of security, politics, economics, and culture. We exchanged views on promoting peace, stability, sustainable development, strengthening food and energy security, promoting trade and investment, developing scientific and technological progress, as well as deepening interpersonal ties," stated F. Marcos, President of the Philippines.
The results achieved indicate that ASEAN-Russia cooperation is becoming more practical, more focused, and provided with clear implementation mechanisms. This helps strengthen the positions of both ASEAN and Russia, as well as contributes to ensuring peace, stability and cooperation at the regional and global levels.
President of the Philippines F. Marcos at the Russia–ASEAN Summit - Russia–ASEAN
Business Forum and Summit in Kazan: a bridge between Russia and Southeast Asia
The large-scale summit and Business Forum in the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan became a historic milestone that demonstrated that Russia and ASEAN are moving from the traditional model of "dialogue partnership" to full-scale strategic cooperation. The business program showed that Russian business sees the ASEAN region not just as an opportunity for profitable partnership, but as a space for joint creation of technologies and competencies. The youth track played a special role – it is the younger generation, free from stereotypes and armed with digital skills, that becomes the main vehicle of mutual understanding and integration. Finally, the cross-cutting line of all discussions was the realization that in the era of global turbulence, relying on pragmatic dialogue, complementarity of resources and cultural diversity is the only alternative basis for a stable future. The Business Forum and the Kazan Summit will go down in history as an event where political will met with business energy, and the Eurasian partnership took on concrete contours.
