The two upgradedtheir relationship to the strategic partnership in November 2018.
At the 19th Meeting of the ASEAN-Russia Joint CooperationCommittee (ARJCC) held online, representatives from ASEAN membernations expressed their appreciation of the positive cooperation in bilateralrelations.
Cooperation programmes and plans between ASEAN and Russia have contributed tosupporting ASEAN in realising its goals in community building and narrowing thedevelopment gap.
The Russian side stressed that ASEAN is one ofthe top priorities in its diplomatic policy. It supports the bloc in building theASEAN Community and in strengthening its central role in the regional structure,and actively joins ASEAN-led mechanisms, thus contributing to peace, stability,and security in the region.
The two sides also highly valued the activities of the ASEAN Centre at the MoscowState Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), which contributeto promoting scientific cooperation between universities and research centresand promoting people-to-people exchanges between citizens of Russia and ASEAN.
In the context of COVID-19, the two sides also committed to promotingjoint efforts to overcome the effects of the pandemic and stabilise theireconomies.
ASEAN and Russia agreed to further strengthen the strategic partnership,focusing on areas of mutual interest, such as politics, security, disastermanagement, technology and innovation, tourism, and the prevention of infectiousdiseases.
Russia has also increased coordination with ASEAN member countries at majorinternational forums, including the UN, on urgent global and regional issues, suchas arms control, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism prevention, internationalinformation security, and combating drug trafficking and transnational crime.
Russian authorities are assisting ASEAN’s special security and law protectionagencies in personnel training and organising professional training courses tofight terrorism and extremism.
On the occasion of the 30th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties and 25years of dialogue relations in 2021, ASEAN and Russia wish to further deepenthe strategic partnership, thus helping both overcome difficulties posed byCOVID-19 and recover economic development./.