Rustam Minnikhanov takes part in a plenary session of Russia-ASEAN Summit

On 18 June the Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov took part in a plenary session of the Summit of Russia- the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations dedicated to the establishment of relations between the parties and held at the Kazan Expo Exhibition Center.

Since July 1996 Russia is a full-scale dialogue partner with the organization, and the co-chairs of the Summit - Russian President Vladimir Putin and the President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos Jr. – opened the plenary session.

Welcoming the participants, Vladimir Putin stated that the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations enjoys authority not only in the Asia-Pacific region, but also in the world as a whole. The organization has stood the test of time, having built a system of interstate cooperation based on generally recognized norms of international law and mutual consideration of interests.

“It is these principles that lie in the basis of relations of Russia and ASEAN, which have the character of a strategic partnership which under conditions of geopolitical turbulence is an important stabilizing factor in the Asia-Pacific region and contributes to the shaping of balanced architecture of security and legally equal mutually beneficial cooperation,” the Russian President said.

He gave a high appraisal to the cooperation results, having mentioned a substantial contractual and legal basis for relations and an extensive network of joint mechanisms, new dialogue platforms and the expanded range of practical interaction in such spheres as fighting new challenges and security threats, trade and investments, power industry, agriculture, digitalization, science and technologies, tourism and humanitarian contacts in the whole.

“I look forward to fruitful work and traditionally constructive and interested exchange of opinions,” Vladimir Putin emphasized.

In his turn Ferdinand Marcos Jr. thanked the Russian party for hospitality and the high level of the organization of the jubilee summit events.

The President of the Philippines noted that the choice of the capital of Tatarstan as the venue for the meeting is very symbolic, since representatives of different cultures and civilizations have interacted closely in Kazan for centuries.