Marcos seeks deeper Asean-Russia security, economic ties

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. pushed for deeper cooperation in peace, maritime security, and economic development between Southeast Asian nations and Russia during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean)-Russia Commemorative Summit in Kazan on Thursday.

Marcos said steady political and security engagement between Asean states  and Russia is highly important amid rising geopolitical uncertainty.

READ: Marcos, Putin discuss boosting energy, food security ties

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“Transnational threats such as terrorism, illicit trafficking, cybercrime, and online scams do not respect borders, and neither can our responses,” Marcos said in his welcoming remarks.

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As chair of the 2026 Asean Summits, Marcos served as co-chair of the commemorative summit alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin. The gathering marked 35 years of dialogue relations between Asean and Russia.

“We must strengthen practical cooperation of maritime security and counterterrorism, reinforce our collective resilience in cyberspace, and develop the institutional habits of anticipation rather than mere reaction,” he added.

The President acknowledged that trade and investment ties between Asean member states and Russia have grown but have yet to reach their full potential. He called for a more proactive and ambitious approach to economic cooperation.

“We must be more deliberate and more ambitious in expanding economic opportunities, improving trade facilitation, deepening investment flows, and connecting our business communities,” Marcos said.

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“Food and energy security deserve particular attention, as these are the foundations on which broader stability rests,” he continued.

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This collaboration must be inclusive of those in the micro, small, and medium enterprises as well as emerging sectors, Marcos said.

He also urged stronger people-to-people ties through scholarships, student exchanges, academic partnerships, tourism, and cultural initiatives.

“These are not peripheral to our relationship; they are at its living core. The connections forged between our peoples outlast any summit declaration and carry our partnership forward in ways that policy alone cannot do,” said Marcos.

“We must continue to invest in these bonds, placing our youth not merely at the receiving end of this cooperation but at its center, as the generation that will ultimately decide what Asean-Russian relations will become,” he added.

Marcos is on a working visit to Kazan, Russia, from June 17 to 18. On Wednesday, he and Putin discussed ways to expand cooperation on food and energy resources during a bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the summit.

He also invited the Russian leader to attend the 21st East Asia Summit, which is scheduled in Manila in November.

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For his part, Putin said there is “good potential” for cooperation in the fields of agriculture and energy. /jpv