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Kazan hosts ASEAN summit
Russia invited ASEAN leaders to Kazan for a Russia–ASEAN commemorative summit marking the 35th anniversary of relations, with the agenda beginning Wednesday at Putin’s invitation and the summit scheduled to be held between June 17 and 19.
“Concurrent with the G7 summit, which is continuing its work in the French city of Évian, where European countries approved a new round of sanctions on Russia over its war with Ukraine, Kazan, the capital of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, is preparing to host the Russia-ASEAN summit, whose agenda will begin tomorrow, Wednesday, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the establishment of relations between them”
The Al-Jazeera Net report says the G7 summit in Évian was continuing as European countries approved a new round of sanctions on Russia over its war with Ukraine, and it adds that leaders were preparing to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Al-Jazeera Net also says Russian sources expected 14 delegations to arrive in Kazan, and it names President Putin, the Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Nurlan Yermekbayev, and Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko among those planned to attend.
The Star reports that Malaysia’s Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will lead Malaysia’s delegation to Kazan on June 17 and 18, and it says the summit is expected to chart the future direction of cooperation between the two sides.
The Star adds that on the sidelines of the summit Anwar is expected to hold engagements with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Rais (Head) of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov.
Putin frames Western pressure
Russia’s ambassador to ASEAN, Yevgeny Zagaynov, told RIA Novosti in an interview published Sunday that “The West is not simply competing for influence in the Asia Pacific. It is militarizing it.”
Zagaynov said Moscow was watching “a dangerous accumulation of conflict potential” across a region that, he said, has spent decades avoiding the open military alignments that define Europe and the Middle East.
The Eastern Herald ties the message to the summit’s timing, saying the Russia-ASEAN commemorative summit opens in Kazan on June 18 and that Putin will attend.
In parallel, Al-Jazeera Net links the summit to Western pressure by noting that the European Union imposed new sanctions on Russia by adding 34 individuals and 47 entities to the sanctions list.
Al-Jazeera Net also says Zelenskiy was set to participate in a private morning session dedicated entirely to discussing developments in the Ukrainian file as international efforts accelerate to push the political process toward a final settlement.
Documents and cooperation agenda
Malaysia’s foreign ministry statement, as carried by The Star, says the summit will review progress under the Asean-Russia Strategic Partnership and explore new areas of practical cooperation.
“Comment Xi Jinping renforce ses liens avec la Russie de Poutine Ces derniers mois, le dirigeant chinois Xi Jinping a tenté de prendre ses distances de façon publique vis-à-vis de Moscou, alors que la Russie a subi des défaites dans sa guerre contre l’Ukraine”
The Star reports that key areas of discussion are expected to include trade and investment, energy, food security, the digital economy, science and technology, education, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
It also says the summit is expected to adopt several key outcome documents, including the Kazan Declaration and a new Comprehensive Plan of Action to implement the Asean-Russia Strategic Partnership from 2026 to 2030.
Vietnam+ quotes Russian economist Rinas Vasiliovich Kashbraziev saying the summit could create additional opportunities to expand Russia’s economic engagement with fast-growing markets in Southeast Asia, and it notes that he wrote the article ahead of the event in Kazan from June 17-19.
Vietnam+ adds that Kashbraziev said new agreements are expected to be signed in areas including trade, investment, energy, transport and logistics connectivity, digital economy, scientific and technological cooperation, tourism, and payment and settlement infrastructure.
