ST PETERSBURG, 26 April 2024 – Senior Officials from ASEAN and Russia reaffirmed commitments to further advance cooperation and enhance partnership during the 20th ASEAN-Russia Senior Officials Meeting (ARSOM) held today in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation.
The Senior Officials exchanged views on the developments in ASEAN and Russia and reviewed cooperation between both sides across three ASEAN Community Pillars. Both sides noted the positive progress made in the implementation of the ASEAN-Russia Comprehensive Plan of Action (2021-2025) and looked forward to further enhancing and supplementing the Strategic Partnership.
ASEAN and Russia underlined the need to strengthen cooperation on countering terrorism and transnational crime; ICT security; combating illicit drug trafficking; science, technology, and innovation; energy; education; people-to-people contact; youth; tourism; and digital transformation.
Both sides looked forward to further promoting economic cooperation, including through the framework of ASEAN- Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) relations. In addition, ASEAN recognised Russia’s support for ASEAN Centrality and encouraged Russia to deepen its cooperation with ASEAN in the four key areas outlined in the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
The Meeting also exchanged views on various regional and international issues of common interest and concern, including regional architecture in the Asia-Pacific and ASEAN-Russia interactions in the regional fora.
The 20th ARSOM was co-chaired by, Secretary of State and ASEAN-Cambodia’s SOM Leader, Kung Phoak, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and SOM Leader of the Russian Federation, Andrey Rudenko. The Meeting was attended by ASEAN SOM Leaders or their representatives, the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Political-Security Community and their respective delegations. Timor-Leste attended the meeting as Observer.
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