JAKARTA, 19 February 2025 – Senior Officials from ASEAN and Russia met today at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, where both sides reaffirmed their commitment to advancing cooperation and strengthening strategic ties.

The 21st ASEAN-Russia Senior Officials Meeting acknowledged the positive progress in implementing the ASEAN-Russia Comprehensive Plan of Action (2021-2025), and highlighted ongoing cooperation in areas such as political-security, counter-terrorism, energy, science and technology, education, and tourism. The Senior Officials also called for intensified joint efforts in the coming months to maximise the impact of existing initiatives and explore additional areas for collaboration under the current Plan of Action.

Looking ahead, the meeting encouraged cooperation in areas such as data protection and cybersecurity, safe and ethical artificial intelligence, digital integration, infrastructure development, and sports. Additionally, ASEAN encouraged Russia to strengthen its cooperation in the four key areas outlined in the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. ASEAN also encouraged Russia to align its cooperation with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and its Strategic Plans upon their adoption in May this year.

The meeting touched upon several regional and global issues of mutual concern, including the evolving regional architecture in the region.

On the sidelines of the meeting, senior officials from both sides attended the opening ceremony of the exhibition “ASEAN-Russia: Prospects of Cooperation in Civilian Nuclear Energy and Technologies,” which will be on display at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat from today until 25 February. The exhibition highlights the growing partnership between ASEAN and Russia in advancing energy cooperation, particularly in civilian nuclear energy.

The 21st ASEAN-Russia Senior Officials Meeting was co-chaired by Permanent Secretary and ASEAN-Myanmar SOM Leader, Aung Kyaw Moe, 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 ASEAN Political-Security Community, and their respective delegations. Timor-Leste attended the meeting as observer.