Chethana Janith, Jadetimes Staff
C. Janith is a Jadetimes news reporter covering science and geopolitics.
The forum turned out to have a very rich programme, gathered participants from many countries friendly to Russia, including Southeast Asia, and once again demonstrated that the turn of the main vector of Russia’s international relations to the East is a promising and actively developing trend in economic life.
The ninth Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) took place on September 3-6 in Vladivostok
The forum turned out to have a very rich programme, gathered participants from many countries friendly to Russia, including Southeast Asia, and once again demonstrated that the turn of the main vector of Russia’s international relations to the East is a promising and actively developing trend in economic life.
Malaysia: participation at the highest level
One of the most representative delegations at EEF this year was the Malaysian one. It was personally headed by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. At the plenary session of the forum, he delivered a speech filled with initiatives that will make many in the world take a fresh look at the rise and role of the countries of the ‘Global South’. A. Ibrahim noted that today in the world there is a real threat of “fragmentation of the global economy”, which arose due to “rising tariffs, trade barriers and restrictions on technology exchange”. In his opinion, “all of this is alarming and, in this regard, the rise of the Global South not only represents changes in the economic balance, but a kind of reconfiguration in the global arena. The countries of the Global South play a key role in shaping the future global economy. They account for about 40% of global economic output and are home to about 85% of the world’s population. By 2030, 3 of the 4 largest economies will belong to the ‘Global South’. This growth is a reality that creates both problems and challenges, as well as opportunities”.
Regarding his country’s foreign policy, Ibrahim stressed that “it is very important for Malaysia to build strong ties in order to…contribute to the creation of a more balanced world order. Like Russia, we see potential in developing economies and strive to develop partnerships that can ensure mutual prosperity. Malaysia is actively using the opportunities offered to the countries of the Global South. We join other countries who want to create a new development paradigm – more inclusive, more equitable, more sustainable and viable. In an increasingly complex world, our future depends on our ability to adapt, innovate and build relationships that transcend traditional boundaries. The Global South is on the rise, and Malaysia intends to rise with it”. At the same time, “Malaysia is a friendly country, without any prejudices, it is not influenced by any dictate of any power and we would like to have special relations with Russia, as with many other countries”.
Considering that Kuala Lumpur will chair ASEAN next year, A. Ibrahim pointed out that “Malaysia intends to focus not only on strengthening existing mechanisms and institutions, but also on finding synergies with partners for dialogue and development assistance… intensify interaction with other subregions and use strategic partnerships, including with Russia. In this context, Malaysia intends to join BRICS, thus diversifying efforts in the field of economic diplomacy and strengthening cooperation with member countries”. The Malaysian Prime Minister expressed gratitude to Vladimir Putin for the invitation to attend the BRICS summit in Kazan in October, 2024, and confirmed his participation.
A. Ibrahim devoted a significant part of his speech to the role of Russia in the world. According to him, “as a cultural, intellectual and scientific force, Russia occupies a prominent place on the world stage and goes far beyond any commercial relations and geopolitics, penetrating into the deep fabric of human history and thought. Russia’s superiority is not due to military power or economic influence, no matter how important it may be. First of all, we are talking about the enduring power of ideas, the beauty of artistic expression and the relentless pursuit of knowledge. These achievements are the basis of the so-called soft power, thanks to which Russia holds a unique place in the world, arousing respect and admiration, winning the hearts and minds of people around the world…I really think that life would be much poorer without literature, especially without Russian literature. In this regard, I cannot but pay tribute to the great Russian writers and poets who explored the depths and complexities of our lives with unsurpassed insight. It was their works that had an indelible impact on my personal understanding of society and human existence. Russian literature demonstrates the depth of the influence of this great country, this great culture on world thought and its ability to help us understand our own role, our ideas and our significance in the broader currents of history. At this unique moment, when we promote the development of mankind through knowledge and technology, we see that Russia is constantly expanding the boundaries of what is possible: from breakthrough efforts in space exploration to innovative work in the field of nuclear physics and cybernetics. And we ourselves have just heard about the unique vision and specific plans presented by President Vladimir Putin. These plans, of course, cover a variety of aspects, they relate to the development of a person and covering his needs”. The Malaysian Prime Minister finished his thought with a conclusion about “the importance of Russia in the collective progress of mankind”.
As is known, Malaysia refused to join Western sanctions against Russia. A. Ibrahim said that his country is “a country with an open economy and we are proud to do business with the whole world”. The Malaysian Prime minister named finance and agriculture as the most promising sectors of bilateral cooperation (stressing that “Russia has achieved significant success in agriculture, becoming the most important global player in this sector” and “plays a key role in ensuring global industrial security”), energy (both traditional and renewable energy sources), education and science. “Russia”, recalled A. Ibrahim, “has the reputation of an advanced state, especially in the natural sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics. Russian universities are constantly among the best in the world, producing world-class scientists, engineers and researchers. The recent establishment of the Russian-Malaysian High Technology Centre underscores our commitment to the development of technological innovation and the promotion of academic cooperation. By facilitating cooperation in the development of high-tech solutions – especially in the field of energy efficiency, data transmission and smart city technologies – we can use our collective advantages to develop innovations and solve the problems of the 21st century”.
Ibrahim also called the EEF a “landmark” forum, expressed special gratitude to President Vladimir Putin for the invitation to participate and told him that this was his first visit to Russia. The Malaysian Prime Minister appreciated Vladivostok’s unique position in the development of Russia’s contacts with the countries of the East, noted the growth of bilateral trade and investment, the expansion of cooperation in the energy sector, industry and digital technologies, the increase in the number of Malaysian citizens who go to study at Russian universities, the growth of tourist flow from Russia and the need to increase tourism on a reciprocal basis.
In general, the entire speech of the future chairman of ASEAN, testified, firstly, to the desire to cooperate with Russia, and, secondly, to the desire to strengthen Malaysia’s sovereignty and contribute to a truly tangible increase in the role of the countries of the ‘Global South’ in world politics. In addition to participating in the plenary session, a separate meeting of the leaders of the Russian Federation and Malaysia and a number of negotiations with participants of the forum were also held. In an article published at the end of A. Ibrahim’s visit, Malaysian state news agency Bernama noted its great strategic importance for the country’s foreign policy. Strengthening ties with Moscow not only fully meets the interests of Kuala Lumpur, but also promotes Malaysia’s role on the world stage. The closeness of the views of the two states on international relations, including on such a significant issue for predominantly Muslim Malaysia as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, was emphasised.
Russia and Southeast Asia: margins of cooperation
In addition to Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar were also well-represented at EEF 2024. Vietnam has generally become one of the most active participants of EEF; this trend has been observed for several years now. By the way, the EEF website now has a Vietnamese-language version. It is also worth noting that two months before the opening of the forum, on July 4, a visiting session of the Roscongress Foundation was held in Ho Chi Minh City in preparation for EEF. It was attended by more than a hundred representatives of government authorities, industry associations and heads of large businesses, including such promising sectors for cooperation as shipbuilding, agriculture, textile production and furniture. The participants discussed current areas of trade and economic relations between the Russian Federation and Vietnam and a presentation of the Fund’s opportunities for foreign business was held.
At the EEF, representatives of Vietnam took part in sessions such as ‘Innovations in land use: from established practices to modern technologies’, ‘Views on the future of the new world order: complementary, competing or mutually exclusive?’, ‘Disease X. How to prepare for the unknown?’ Another event was the Russian-Vietnamese scientific and practical conference, at which researchers representing the largest academic centres of the two countries exchanged their views on how bilateral relations are developing and what can be further improved in them.
Participants from Myanmar within the framework of EEF took part in the discussions ‘Cooperation in Greater Eurasia: experience in the development of production chains of the EAEU, SCO, BRICS’, ‘Southeast Asia in a multipolar world’, ‘International youth cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region’ and at a session on legal aspects of doing business. Representatives of Laos, Thailand and Cambodia participated in the session on legal aspects of doing business, Singapore – in the sessions ‘International Youth Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region’ and ‘Development of international commercial arbitration in the Asia-Pacific countries’, the Philippines – in the session on international youth cooperation.
The Russian Investment Promotion Fund ‘RK-Investments’ signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation of Myanmar and the Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development of this country at EEF. The parties will work together on the implementation of a project to build a factory for the production of plant growth stimulants in Myanmar. Certification of the use and sale of Russian fertilisers in Myanmar, cooperation in improving the quality of agricultural soils and the development of seed production and breeding clusters are also planned.
Alexey Likhachev, head of the Rosatom state corporation, told reporters during EEF about negotiations on developing ties in creating a full-scale nuclear industry in Thailand. Myanmar and the Philippines have the same interest. In general, Southeast Asian countries are considering the option of land-based or floating nuclear power plants of low power.
An agreement on cooperation between the Prosecutor General’s offices was signed with Laos ‘on the sidelines’ of the Forum. According to the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, Igor Krasnov, the document will serve as the legal basis for a wide range of issues, including the legal basis for professional development, exchange of experience in the work of departments, anti-crime practices and free training of Lao citizens in Russia in relevant specialties.
Business dialogue with ASEAN: from projects to practical cooperation
One of the EEF sessions was devoted to economic relations between Russia and ASEAN. It was attended by representatives of the Eurasian Economic Commission, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, the Russian Export Center (REC), PJSC RusHydro, the FESCO transport group and participants from Vietnam and Myanmar from Southeast Asia.
The discussion turned out to be rich and productive. The debaters highlighted the most promising areas of partnership and key constraints in terms of logistics and mutual settlements that need to be eliminated so as to expand bilateral cooperation. The need to harmonise regulatory frameworks, simplify trade procedures on a mutual basis and better disseminate information about cooperation opportunities among companies of interested parties was also emphasised. The latter was also directed at the media. The general conclusion was the recognition – by both sides – of the importance of Russia’s ties with ASEAN in modern conditions
Gohar Barseghyan, member of the Board (minister) for Industry and Agro-industrial Complex of the Eurasian Economic Commission reported on the results of the visit of the EEC delegation to Indonesia. The Commission is counting on the possibility of creating a free trade zone with the country. In addition, stable ties have been established with the governments of Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Singapore, memoranda have been signed and dialogue is actively developing, including with the participation of business.
Dmitry Prokhorenko, Director for the development of the REC’s foreign network, announced plans to open representative offices of the centre in Thailand and Indonesia, following the example of the existing office in Vietnam. The REC sees great prospects for Russian companies to enter the Southeast Asian region.
German Maslov, Vice President for the line logistics division of FESCO, spoke about the launch of a direct freight line between the port of Vladivostok and Vietnam. “We see a huge interest of shippers in this service, because there has never been a direct service before. We collect cargoes from different countries of Southeast Asia and almost all countries have our representative offices. Thus, we can send goods from almost any country to Russia and from Russia to these countries through Vietnam, which is now operating as a logistics hub”, he said.
Sergey Machekhin, Deputy Director General for Project Engineering, Sustainable Development and International Cooperation of PJSC RusHydro, drew the attention of colleagues from ASEAN to the need for a “multifaceted audit of existing energy systems of states, because most of the solutions that have been implemented already number 50-60 technological years”. After such a comprehensive audit, states objectively need to “develop and implement a programme to improve the reliability of energy systems. It is necessary to take into account the growth and consumption rates, the changing landscape of energy and water consumption and, of course, apply those technologies that allow for minimal damage to the environment”. Russia has such technological solutions and is ready to offer them to Southeast Asian countries for joint implementation with transfer and localisation of the most modern innovative practices.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hoa Binh Construction Group JSC Le Viet Hai (Vietnam) expressed hope that his country “can serve as a reliable bridge between Russia and other ASEAN countries” and spoke about negotiations with a number of Russian companies on potential development projects.
According to Myanmar’s Minister of Hospitality and Tourism, Thet Thet Khine, it is extremely important for the parties to “harmonise standards”; this will help them create a better environment for trade and develop cooperation more effectively. The minister also stressed the role of the Russian Far East in the development of relations between Russia and ASEAN and the need to improve infrastructure, which will contribute to the expansion of tourism and trade. Both Russia and ASEAN countries are interested in innovation and improving the quality of life of their citizens. Thet Thet Khine named the most promising areas of cooperation as fisheries and agriculture, the development of high technologies, renewable energy sources, biotechnology, the construction of a digital economy, environmental protection and tourism.
