21 Feb 2019
Source: ASEAN Secretariat
ASEAN, Russia commit to deepen cooperation
BALI, 21 February 2019 – Upon the elevation of the ASEAN-Russia partnership to strategic level at the 3rd ASEAN-Russia Summit, Russia reaffirmed its commitment to further deepen and substantiate cooperation with ASEAN in the areas of, among others, science and technology, energy, connectivity, information and communication technology, education, health, trade and investment, and in combating transnational crime, drugs trafficking, including through maximising utilisation of ASEAN-Russia Dialogue Partnership Financial Fund (ARDPFF) to facilitate ASEAN-Russia cooperative projects.
The 16th ASEAN-Russia Senior Officials’ Meeting (ARSOM), held on 20 February in Bali, Indonesia, reported satisfactory progress have been made in the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan of Action (CPA) to Promote Cooperation between ASEAN and the Russian Federation (2016-2020). ASEAN-Russia partnership was elevated to strategic level at the 3rd ASEAN-Russia Summit last year.
The senior officials also deliberated on the future direction of ASEAN-Russia relations in the meeting. The meeting encouraged both sides to look into the unimplemented measures/action lines under the CPA in order to address them through cooperative activities and practical projects as the CPA would expire by end of next year.
The meeting also touched upon regional and international issues of mutual interest and concern. ASEAN senior officials noted with appreciation Russia’s substantial participation and contribution to the ASEAN-led fora and mechanisms, such as the ASEAN Regional Forum, the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus and the East Asia Summit..
The 16th ARSOM was co-chaired by Director-General of ASEAN Cooperation of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia Jose Tavares, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Igor Morgulov. Senior officials from ASEAN Member States and the ASEAN Secretariat also attended the meeting.