KAZAN – Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have accumulated extensive experience in cooperation and laid a solid foundation for future ties, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.
The Russia-ASEAN Business Forum opened in Kazan on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Russia-ASEAN Summit. Russia’s Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov read out Putin’s greeting message at the event.
“This year marks the 35th anniversary of Russia-ASEAN relations. Over the decades, we have accumulated rich experience in multi-faceted cooperation and forged steady bilateral ties, laying a robust groundwork for the years ahead,” Putin said in the written address.
Putin said Russia and ASEAN see broad prospects for cooperation in areas including energy and food security, the exchange of cutting-edge technologies, peaceful nuclear energy, and transport and logistics.
He added that partners of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Eurasian Economic Union, and other regional blocs are also advancing cooperation in these priority areas, with representatives attending the forum.
“I am convinced that the outcomes of the Russia-ASEAN Summit will unlock more room to advance mutually beneficial trade, investment and industrial cooperation, and expand direct dialogue between business communities. Such progress will in turn drive the socio-economic development of all our member states,” Putin said.
