Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng speaks at the ASEAN–Russia Commemorative Summit in Kazan, Russia on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng has proposed three key directions to enhance ASEAN–Russia relations, focusing on strategic engagement, practical socio-economic cooperation and resilience as he met with ASEAN and Russian leaders on Thursday. 

He was speaking at the ASEAN–Russia Commemorative Summit marking 35 years of relations between Russia and the bloc held in Kazan, Russia. 

The Government leader reiterated that Việt Nam attaches great importance to its traditional friendship and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Russia. Việt Nam also supports Russia in playing a greater role in contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the Asia-Pacific region and the world.

He underscored that amid increasingly complex and unpredictable global developments, ASEAN and Russia should work together proactively to help shape a more stable, balanced and sustainable environment. 

Việt Nam supports the peaceful settlement of disputes and conflicts on the basis of international law, including the United Nations Charter and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), while contributing to dialogue and the search for lasting peaceful solutions, said PM Hưng.

Việt Nam also welcomed the agreement reached between the US and Iran regarding the situation in the Middle East, expressing hope that all parties would effectively implement the agreement and work towards lasting peace for the benefit of the regional and international communities.

Speaking at the summit, PM Hưng outlined three key directions to effectively advance ASEAN–Russia relations, the first being strengthening their strategic partnership through the regular ASEAN–Russia summits, and the cooperation between ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) and the Russian parliament.

These mechanisms are expected to promote the core principles and values consistently supported by both sides.

The second direction is to enhance practical cooperation by addressing bottlenecks in logistics, market access and payment mechanisms, with the goal of raising two-way trade between Russia and the Southeast Asian bloc to US$45 billion by 2035.

The two sides should also expand cooperation in education, training, youth exchanges, culture and tourism, he added.

The third direction proposed is strengthening resilience and self-reliance by making energy a key pillar of cooperation, establishing preferential mechanisms for the supply of fertilisers, animal feed materials and agricultural technologies. 

In addition, boosting digital resilience, including contributions to the implementation of the Hanoi Convention against cybercrime, should also be a focus area of cooperation, said the Vietnamese leader. 

At the event, PM Hưng also announced that Việt Nam will host the ASEAN–Russia Young Diplomats Summit in 2027.

Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng, Russian President Vladimir Putin and ASEAN leaders at the summit in Kazan, Russia on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

Addressing the summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that the world is undergoing structural changes and said that ASEAN–Russia relations, after 35 years of development, have made important contributions to maintaining peace, stability and development both regionally and globally.

He emphasised that Russia would continue to participate actively in ASEAN-led mechanisms, including the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit (EAS), while also promoting ties between AIPA and the Russian parliament.

The Russian leader also stressed the need to double bilateral trade over the next decade and expand cooperation in areas such as counter-terrorism, transnational crime, artificial intelligence, science and technology, biosecurity, civilian nuclear energy, connectivity and logistics.

Leaders of ASEAN member states reaffirmed the importance they attach to Russia’s regional and global contributions, and welcomed the country’s active participation in ASEAN-led mechanisms. They agreed that the ASEAN–Russia Strategic Partnership should play a greater role in promoting peace, security, stability and development in the region.

In 2025, ASEAN–Russia trade reached nearly $18 billion, a significant increase compared with the pre-COVID period. Russian tourist arrivals in ASEAN reached 3.2 million, up 27 per cent from 2024. 

Russia remains an important partner for ASEAN in energy, fertilisers and grain, while ASEAN exports electronics, agricultural products, processed foods, textiles and consumer goods to Russia.

The ASEAN and Russian leaders agreed to further strengthen relations to better address common challenges and contribute to a peaceful, stable and development-friendly environment in both regions.

They noted that this 35th-anniversary summit was not only a commemorative event but also the beginning of a new chapter of cooperation that is more substantive, effective, connected and mutually beneficial.

Both sides committed to strengthening high-level dialogue and deepening practical cooperation in trade, investment, science and technology, education and training, and people-to-people exchanges, as well as in emerging areas such as the digital economy, innovation, AI, cybersecurity and maritime cooperation.

Notably, energy was identified as a priority area of cooperation, alongside enhanced collaboration on food security and agricultural supply chains. Cultural cooperation will also be expanded to strengthen the ASEAN–Russia ties.

Leaders of ASEAN member states and Russia at the summit in Kazan on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

To broaden the scope of cooperation, the Southeast Asian bloc and Russia agreed to strengthen links between ASEAN and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), make better use of existing free trade agreements between the EAEU and both Việt Nam and Singapore, promote cooperation between ASEAN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and explore potential cooperation with BRICS.

The senior leaders at the event also emphasised dialogue, cooperation and the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law and the UN Charter, while calling for responsible conduct on issues related to peace.

They reaffirmed support for multilateralism and for an open, transparent and resilient regional architecture with ASEAN at its centre, while stressing the importance of peace, stability, maritime and aviation security and safety, and unimpeded trade in accordance with international law, particularly UNCLOS 1982.

At the summit, ASEAN and Russian leaders adopted the 2026 Kazan Declaration on ASEAN–Russia relations, the ASEAN–Russia Declaration on Energy Cooperation, the ASEAN–Russia Declaration on Cultural Cooperation, and the ASEAN–Russia Work Plan for 2026-2030. — VNS