(Manila, 18th – Comprehensive Report) Philippine President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. stated on Thursday that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Russia should strengthen their security, economic, and cultural ties to achieve peace, prosperity, and people-centered common development.
At the ASEAN–Russia Commemorative Summit held in Kazan, Russia, Marcos delivered a speech emphasizing the importance of advancing the regional bloc's strategic partnership with Moscow. He highly praised the friendship established over the past 35 years, built on mutual respect, shared interests, and a commitment to peaceful cooperation.
"Thirty-five years ago, Russia participated in the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, planting the first seed of what has grown into this deeply significant strategic partnership we have today," he said.
"The principles guiding those early steps—mutual respect, sovereign equality, and the commitment to peaceful cooperation enshrined in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation—remain as crucial today as they were in the past. They are not only anchors of our history, but also the norms guiding our actions as we face the world of tomorrow."
In the face of current geopolitical tensions and uncertainties, Marcos stressed the necessity of bolstering ASEAN-Russia political and security engagement. He pointed out that transnational threats do not respect borders and require coordinated cooperation rather than isolated actions.
He specifically highlighted that strengthening maritime security, counter-terrorism efforts, and cyber-resilience have become urgent priorities for maintaining regional and global peace, security, and stability.
"In an era of growing geopolitical uncertainty, the value of stable ASEAN-Russia political and security engagement cannot be underestimated. Transnational threats such as terrorism, illicit trafficking, cybercrime, and online fraud know no borders, and our strategies to address them must not stop at our boundaries either," Marcos said.
He also called for establishing a "more dynamic economic partnership" to achieve sustainable growth, stating that ASEAN and Russia must take a "more proactive and ambitious" approach to expanding economic opportunities, improving trade facilitation, deepening investment flows, and connecting business communities.
"Though our trade and investment ties have grown, they have yet to fully reach their potential," he said, listing food and energy security as cornerstones for broader regional stability. He emphasized that economic cooperation must
be inclusive, empower micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, and focus on emerging areas that are critical to shaping the future global economy.
Marcos also stressed the importance of people-to-people exchanges between ASEAN and Russia, listing scholarships, student exchanges, academic cooperation, tourism, and the arts as key pillars of the partnership.
"These are not peripheral branches of our relationship—they are its vibrant core. The connections built among our peoples will outlast any summit declaration and propel the partnership forward in ways no policy ever could," he said.
Marcos stressed that investing in youth participation is crucial, and that the younger generation should be empowered as active drivers shaping the future of ASEAN–Russia cooperation.
"We must continue investing in these bonds so that our youth are not just beneficiaries of this cooperation, but are placed at its very heart—because ultimately, it is their generation that will decide the future direction of ASEAN–Russia relations," he added.
"Thirty-five years ago, Russia participated in the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, planting the first seed of what has grown into this deeply significant strategic partnership we have today," he said.
"The principles guiding those early steps—mutual respect, sovereign equality, and the commitment to peaceful cooperation enshrined in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation—remain as crucial today as they were in the past. They are not only anchors of our history, but also the norms guiding our actions as we face the world of tomorrow."
In the face of current geopolitical tensions and uncertainties, Marcos stressed the necessity of bolstering ASEAN-Russia political and security engagement. He pointed out that transnational threats do not respect borders and require coordinated cooperation rather than isolated actions.
He specifically highlighted that strengthening maritime security, counter-terrorism efforts, and cyber-resilience have become urgent priorities for maintaining regional and global peace, security, and stability.
"In an era of growing geopolitical uncertainty, the value of stable ASEAN-Russia political and security engagement cannot be underestimated. Transnational threats such as terrorism, illicit trafficking, cybercrime, and online fraud know no borders, and our strategies to address them must not stop at our boundaries either," Marcos said.
He also called for establishing a "more dynamic economic partnership" to achieve sustainable growth, stating that ASEAN and Russia must take a "more proactive and ambitious" approach to expanding economic opportunities, improving trade facilitation, deepening investment flows, and connecting business communities.
"Though our trade and investment ties have grown, they have yet to fully reach their potential," he said, listing food and energy security as cornerstones for broader regional stability. He emphasized that economic cooperation must
be inclusive, empower micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, and focus on emerging areas that are critical to shaping the future global economy.
Marcos also stressed the importance of people-to-people exchanges between ASEAN and Russia, listing scholarships, student exchanges, academic cooperation, tourism, and the arts as key pillars of the partnership.
"These are not peripheral branches of our relationship—they are its vibrant core. The connections built among our peoples will outlast any summit declaration and propel the partnership forward in ways no policy ever could," he said.
Marcos stressed that investing in youth participation is crucial, and that the younger generation should be empowered as active drivers shaping the future of ASEAN–Russia cooperation.
"We must continue investing in these bonds so that our youth are not just beneficiaries of this cooperation, but are placed at its very heart—because ultimately, it is their generation that will decide the future direction of ASEAN–Russia relations," he added.