The Special ASEAN-Russia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was held in Jakarta on 6 July 2021 in view of 30 years of ASEAN-Russia relations and 25 years of the ASEAN-Russia Dialogue Partnership in 2021 and to follow up last year’s Special Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Covid-19. The Meeting was co-chaired by H.E. Retno Marsudi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, and H.E. Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation in Jakarta. While H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General of ASEAN and other ASEAN Member States participated in the Meeting via videoconference.

The Meeting reviewed the achievements of ASEAN-Russia relations over the past three decades across a wide range of areas, including political, security, health, trade and economic cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges, which were exemplified in the elevation of the ASEAN-Russia Dialogue Partnership to the strategic level in 2018.

The Meeting acknowledged the various challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and highlighted the importance of concerted regional and global efforts to address the humanitarian, health, social, economic, financial and environmental consequences of the pandemic.

ASEAN appreciated Russia’s provision of vaccines, medical supplies and technical assistance to ASEAN Member States and noted the urgency of enhancing capacity and resilience to respond to COVID-19 as well as future public health emergencies and pandemics.

The Meeting reiterated the shared goal of expediting the comprehensive recovery process and countering the socio-economic impact of COVID-19, restoring macroeconomic and financial stability, supply chain, connectivity and enhancing environmental resilience.

The Meeting called for strengthening ASEAN Centrality in the evolving regional architecture in the Asia-Pacific region built upon ASEAN-led mechanisms and based on shared values, norms, and principles of international law, equality, inclusivity and mutual benefit.

The Meeting reaffirmed ASEAN’s collective leadership in forging and shaping the vision for closer cooperation in the region.

The Meeting discussed ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific as well as the Russian proposals to strengthen ASEAN central role in regional architecture.

In view of the changing dynamics in the global and regional landscape, as well as increasing geo-political tensions, the Meeting emphasized the necessity to further enhance dialogue, expand capacity building, and improve information exchange between ASEAN and Russia through ASEAN-Russia and ASEAN-led mechanisms on various aspects of security, such as addressing traditional and nontraditional threats and challenges, to contribute to regional peace, security and stability.

The Meeting recognized that the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) can directly affect national and international security. The Meeting further acknowledged the importance of stronger cooperation to ensure the development of a peaceful and secure international ICT environment and enhance countries’ resilience to threats arising from the use of ICTs.

The Meeting hereby agreed on the followings:

1. Promote high-level contacts between ASEAN and Russia and welcome the proposal to convene the ASEAN-Russia summit in October 2021 back-to-back with the 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits and related Summits, to mark 30 years of ASEAN-Russia relations and 25 years of Dialogue Partnership to promote greater cooperation and support ASEAN Centrality in the evolving regional architecture;

2. Strengthen cooperation between ASEAN and Russia within the framework of ASEAN-led mechanisms, in particular the East Asia Summit (EAS), and the implementation of the Manila Plan of Action to Advance the Phnom Penh Declaration on the EAS Development Initiative (2018-2022), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meetings-Plus (ADMM-Plus);

3. Welcome the conclusion of the negotiation on the Comprehensive Plan of Action to Implement ASEAN-Russia Strategic Partnership (2021-2025) that lays out priorities and measures to further deepen and enhance the ASEAN-Russia Dialogue Partnership;

4. Welcome the implementation of the Concept Paper on ASEAN-Russia Consultations of the High Representatives for Security Issues through the convening of the Consultation via videoconference on 28 June 2021 [Annex 1];

5. Welcome the endorsement of the Concept Paper on the Establishment of an ASEAN-Russia Dialogue on ICT Security-related Issues by ASEAN-Russia Senior Officials’ Meeting on 26 January 2021 and look forward to the convening of the first meeting of the ASEAN-Russia Dialogue on ICT Security-related Issues [Annex 2];

6. Welcome the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between ASEAN and the Russian Federation on Cooperation in the Field of Disaster Management on 19 February 2021 and call for its practical implementation [Annex 3];

7. Reaffirm our shared commitment to finalise the ASEAN-Russia Work Plan on Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime which would provide a basis for continued cooperation between ASEAN and Russian law enforcement agencies;

8. Look forward to the ASEAN-Russia naval exercise;

9. Enhance cooperation in pandemic preparedness and response, including through scientific research for the development of test kits and vaccines, ensure equitable, timely and affordable access to vaccines either through multilateral mechanisms as well as through bilateral frameworks, exchange of information and medical expertise, sharing of epidemic experience and epidemiological situation, continuing training courses for ASEAN experts, and explore on the existing ASEAN-led structure in building network of experts on public health emergencies for future need;

10. Promote practical cooperation for comprehensive recovery from the pandemic in accordance with common development priorities and the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework and its Implementation Plan, by reinforcing trade and investment, supply chain connectivity, infrastructure, digital economy, innovation and smart cities, as well as through the active utilization of the ASEAN-Russia Dialogue Partnership Financial Fund for mutually beneficial projects and ensuring access to essential goods such as medical supplies, medicines, food, and other essential supplies in our region;

11. Implement the ASEAN-Russia Trade and Investment Cooperation Roadmap to increase trade and investment opportunities particularly for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs);

12. Welcome Russia’s proposal for the EAS Leaders’ Statement on Economic Growth through Tourism Recovery;

13. Encourage greater cooperation in the socio-cultural sphere by strengthening cultural, educational and academic exchanges, and scholarship programmes, as well as through the provision of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and explore various initiatives to promote people-to-people connectivity, including the 6th ASEAN-Russia Youth Summit;

14. Explore cooperation in promoting environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, and addressing challenges brought by climate change;

15. Strengthen partnership between multilateral organisations in the Asia-Pacific region, and explore practical cooperation on issues of mutual interest among ASEAN, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

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