Vietnam proposes three priorities to advance ASEAN-Russia relations

Speaking at the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit marking the 35th anniversary of their dialogue relations in Kazan, Russia, on June 18, Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung called for efforts to make cooperation between ASEAN and Russia more substantive, balanced and sustainable in the years ahead.

Vietnam outlines three priorities for future cooperation

Addressing regional leaders, the Vietnamese Prime Minister stressed that ASEAN and Russia should work closer together to foster a stable, balanced and sustainable environment for cooperation based on international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter.

To unlock the full potential of ASEAN-Russia relations, he proposed elevating the strategic framework of ASEAN-Russia relations through regular summit-level engagement, stronger parliamentary exchanges via the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), and the reaffirmation of shared principles and values.

He called for more practical cooperation by addressing bottlenecks in logistics, market access and payment mechanisms. In this regard, Prime Minister Hung suggested working toward a target of US$45 billion in ASEAN-Russia trade by 2035, while expanding collaboration in education, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.

In addition, the Vietnamese PM stressed the need to strengthen resilience and self-reliance in ASEAN-Russia cooperation. Energy was identified as a key pillar, alongside closer collaboration in fertilisers, agricultural inputs, technology development, digital transformation and cybersecurity. The Prime Minister also highlighted the importance of implementing the Hanoi Convention on combating cybercrime.

At the summit, Prime Minister Hung reaffirmed that Vietnam attaches great importance to its traditional friendship and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Russia, while supporting Russia’s constructive role in promoting peace, stability, cooperation and development in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

Against a backdrop of growing global uncertainty, Vietnam, he said, consistently supports the peaceful settlement of disputes and conflicts in accordance with international law, the United Nations Charter and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), while encouraging dialogue and efforts toward lasting peaceful solutions.

The Prime Minister also welcomed the recent agreement between the United States and Iran regarding the situation in the Middle East, expressing hope that all parties would effectively implement the agreement and contribute to long-term peace and stability in the region and the wider international community.

ASEAN and Russia seek broader cooperation

The summit took place as ASEAN and Russia marked 35 years of dialogue relations and explored opportunities to expand cooperation across trade, investment, science and technology, energy and people-to-people connectivity.

According to figures presented at the meeting, ASEAN-Russia trade reached nearly US$18 billion in 2025, and the number of Russian visitors to ASEAN climbed to 3.2 million, up 27% from the previous year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to active participation in ASEAN-led mechanisms, including the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit (EAS). He voiced hí strong support for closer engagement between the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) and the Russian Parliament.

President Putin called for doubling ASEAN-Russia trade over the next decade and expanding cooperation in areas such as counterterrorism, transnational crime, artificial intelligence, science and technology, biosafety, civilian nuclear energy, connectivity and logistics.

ASEAN leaders, for their part, underscored the importance of Russia’s role and contributions in the Asia-Pacific region and reaffirmed their support for Russia’s continued engagement in ASEAN-led mechanisms. They agreed that the ASEAN-Russia Strategic Partnership should contribute more actively to regional peace, security, stability and sustainable development.

The two sides pledged to deepen high-level dialogue and expand practical cooperation in trade, investment, science and technology, education, training and people-to-people exchanges, while advancing collaboration in emerging areas such as the digital economy, innovation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and maritime cooperation. Energy was identified as a key priority area, alongside food security and agricultural supply chains. Cultural cooperation will also be strengthened to further enhance mutual understanding between the two sides.

To broaden the scope of cooperation, ASEAN and Russia also agreed to enhance connectivity between ASEAN and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), make better use of existing free trade agreements with Vietnam and Singapore, promote cooperation between ASEAN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and explore potential engagement with BRICS.

At the conclusion of the summit, ASEAN and Russian leaders adopted the Kazan Declaration 2026, along with joint statements on energy cooperation, cultural exchanges and the ASEAN-Russia Work Plan for 2026–2030.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung also announced that Vietnam will host the ASEAN-Russia Young Diplomats Summit in 2027, an initiative aimed at promoting youth exchanges and strengthening the long-term foundations of cooperation between ASEAN and Russia..

PM Le Minh Hung attends ASEAN-Russia Summit in Kazan

VOV.VN - Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung on June 18 attended the plenary session of the ASEAN-Russia Summit commemorating the 35th anniversary of relations between ASEAN and Russia, held in Kazan, the capital of Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan.