Phnom Penh (FN), Sep. 13 – Russian Embassy in Phnom Penh celebrated the Fifth Anniversary of Russia-ASEAN Strategic Partnership on Wednesday (Sep. 13) at the Embassy.

The event was presided over by Russian Ambassador to Cambodia H.E. Anatoly Borovik.

On the occasion of the anniversary celebration, Russian ambassador Anatoly Borovik underlined that Russia supports the ASEAN Centrality in the evolving regional architecture and is committed to strengthen and give a new momentum to ASEAN-led mechanisms amid the opportunities, arising from the changing regional and global environment. In such circumstances, constructive and practical cooperation within ASEAN framework and at the UN platforms promote the deepening of mutual trust.

The ambassador also noted with appreciation the mutual efforts to expand diverse cooperation in accordance with the guidelines set by the leaders of our states at the Fourth Russia-ASEAN Summit in 2021.

The ambassador continued, “Speaking about the security dimension, I would like to highlight the First ASEAN-Russia Meeting of the High Representatives for Security Issues, which was held last year and took place again in the physical format in Moscow Region this May. Russian line authorities are providing their regular courses in the fields of countering drug trafficking, transnational crimes and combating terrorism. Security in the field of ICT is another promising topic, which was covered at the Second ASEAN-Russia Meeting on ICT Security Related Issues last December.”

Russia is focusing on forging closer economic and business ties, as well as enhancing the dialogue in energy, high-tech sectors, digitalization and smart cities, according to ambassador Anatoly Borovik.

At the same time, the ambassador also highlighted remarkable progress of Russia-ASEAN humanitarian cooperation, and praised the development and the capabilities of ASEAN.

"For many decades, the Association has been developing in accordance with its principles, including consensus and balance of interests. The agreements that are reached through consideration of each other’s interests, based on mutual benefit, are much stronger than those that were imposed in a hurry or under pressure. This is what ASEAN has always been valuable for, and everyone praised the experience and capabilities of this organisation to gather around itself a wide variety of partners, including the West, Russia, Asian states,” said the ambassador.

The relations between Russia and ASEAN can be traced back to 1991, when Russia established diplomatic relations with the Association. In 1995, Russia and Cambodia signed the Joint Declaration on the Foundations of Friendly Relations, in which they agreed to support each other in extending ties and cooperation with ASEAN. This was followed by the establishment of the ASEAN-Russia Dialogue Partnership in 1996.
=FRESH NEWS