ASEAN and Russia in Asia-Pacific region: dynamic of cooperation, regional processes and the global context

December, 9 the international conference “ASEAN and Russia in Asia-Pacific region: dynamic of cooperation, regional processes and the global context”, organized by the ASEAN Centre in MGIMO took place within the framework of the X RISA Convention. The participants of the Conference from Russia and ASEAN countries took stock of the intellectual results of the anniversary year of dialogue partnership between Russia and ASEAN and discussed the prospects of further cooperation.

Vice-rector of MGIMO Andrey Baikov and the temporary Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Philippines in Russia Ms Luningning G. Camoying addressed the audience with welcoming speeches.

Andrei Baikov emphasized that diplomatic experience of ASEAN country-members can be useful for Russia while pursuing its policies in the Asia-Pacific region and implementing its eurasian integration project. Ms Luningning G. Camoying marked the importance of expert discussions between the representatives of Russia and ASEAN countries especially when the two parties are inclined to move towards strategic partnership. She also shed light on the Philippine priorities of ASEAN development during its presidency in this organization in 2017.

In 2016 Russia and the Philippines celebrated the 40th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations, while the year 2017 will mark the 50th anniversary of ASEAN. Head of the ASEAN Centre in MGIMO Victor Sumsky presented the results of the Centre’s activities during the jubilee year of the 20th anniversary of ASEAN-Russia dialogue partnership, including the participation of leading experts of the Centre in the ASEAN-Russia working group of prominent figures of the two parties, the organization of the ASEAN-Russia University Forum and the IV ASEAN-Russia Youth Summit.

The first section of the Conference was devoted to the analysis of global and regional context of the ASEAN - Russia relations. Head of the ASEAN Center in MGIMO Victor Sumsky, Professor of the National University of Malaysia K. S. Natan, Professor of MGIMO Yury Dubinin, leading expert of the ASEAN Centre in MGIMO Evgeny Kanaev, Professor of MGIMO Sergey Chugrov, leading expert of the ASEAN Centre in MGIMO Ekaterina Koldunova and the leading economist of the Eurasian development bank Yaroslav Lisovolik.

During the second section the discussion was focused on the issues of bilateral cooperation (the reports of the Counsellor of the Ministry for foreign affairs of Thailand  Paradon Rangsimaponand the research fellow of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam Nguyễn Thị Bích Ngọc), intercultural communications (the report of the Head of Department of philology of South-Asian countries, Mongolia and Korea of the Institute of Asian and African studies of the Lomonosov Moscow State University E. Kukushkina and the associate professor of MGIMO E. Efremova), regional projects and processes (the reports of the associate professor of MGIMO A. Kireeva, postgraduate students of Higher School of Economics A. Pyatachkova and A. Korolev, research fellow of the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies (RISS) M. Zelenkova and postgraduate student of MGIMO M. Ardi).

Closing sessions organized by the South-Asian Club of the Scientific Students Society of MGIMO were devoted to the reports of bachelor, master and postgraduate students of MGIMO, the Institute of Asian and African studies of the Lomonosov Moscow State University, Higher School of Economics and the Diplomatic academy of Russia.

The X RISA Convention was organized with the support of the  MGIMO Endowment Foundation and the MGIMO Alumni Association.

ASEAN Centre in MGIMO