ASEAN Foreign Ministers Summit in Laos

Vientiane, Laos is the site for this year’s Association of SouthEast Asian Nations summit of foreign ministers that also includes several observer and associated nations, including Russia, China and Turkey—even the Outlaw US Empire’s Blinken will attend. Yesterday there were many meetings conducted on the sidelines some planned in advance as this photo shows:

Wang Yi, Laotian FM Saleumxay Kommasith, and Lavrov prior to their trilateral meeting.

So far, a great number of PR statements summarizing these meeting have been published by Russia’s MFA. Before I get to posting transcripts, here’s a very good background informational article produced by Sputnik for those lacking that information. ASEAN is a testament to what’s possible when mostly freed from US Imperialism. I do expect more to emerge from the meeting than Lavrov’s opening remarks to the meeting and the “Joint Statement of ASEAN and Russia Foreign Ministers Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of Russia’s Accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.” Global Times does have two items about the meeting with the first being more about Chia-Russia relations, while the second focuses more on the outcomes of the meetings and notes that ASEAN is China’s biggest trading partner.

Now we get to read the three minutes of Lavrov’s opening remarks at the Russia-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting:

Dear Mr. Co-Chairman,

Dear Colleagues,

It is a pleasure to meet you again in Vientiane. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to our Laotian friends for their hospitality and excellent organisation of the event.

I would like to express special gratitude to Cambodia, which has been coordinating the Russia-ASEAN dialogue for the past three years, for its responsible approach to the performance of its duties. Now that baton is passing to Myanmar. I would like to welcome the representative of Naypyidaw.

We are celebrating a number of anniversaries. 2023 marks the fifth anniversary of the entry into force of the Russia-ASEAN Strategic Partnership, and this year marks the twentieth anniversary of Russia's accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (Bali Treaty). We have always been and remain committed to observing its basic principles and are ready to continue to work to strengthen stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region.

It is gratifying that we and our dialogue partners have a similar vision of the parameters for the formation of a multipolar world order based on the solid principles of the UN Charter and other norms of international law and an increase in the role of the states of the Global South in multilateral structures in accordance with their rapidly growing real "weight" in the global economy and politics.

Moscow has invariably advocated strengthening the role of ASEAN in regional affairs. We are convinced that an ASEAN-centric architecture based on inclusiveness and equality, taking into account the interests of all participants and respecting their identities should remain the foundation of security and sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region.

For more than three decades, our relationship has become truly comprehensive. Purposeful work is underway to deepen coordination in the fields of politics and security, countering modern challenges and threats. We see positive dynamics in practical areas, including the economy, energy, agriculture and education. A significant event was Russia's obtaining the status of an ASEAN digital partner this year. Initiatives are also being successfully implemented in other areas, including the development of youth cooperation.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the representative of East Timor, who is becoming a regular participant in Russia-ASEAN events and wish Dili successful integration into the political and economic processes in the region. [My Emphasis]

East Timor was one of the nations Lavrov met with on the sidelines. Of course, Russia’s “dialog partners” doesn’t include the Outlaw US Empire. And the Russian and ASEAN vision of how the region should behave is not at all in-line with the Empire’s policy. Let’s move on now to the “Joint Statement of ASEAN and Russia Foreign Ministers Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of Russia’s Accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia:”

WE, the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Russian Federation, met in Vientiane, Lao PDR for the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference (PMC) 10+1 Session on 26 July 2024;

APPRECIATING that 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of Russia’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), since it acceded to the TAC in Vientiane, Lao PDR, on 29 November 2004;

RECOGNISING the continuing importance, relevance and positive contribution of the TAC to sustaining peace and stability in the Southeast Asian region for almost 50 years, consistent with the spirit and principles of the Charter of the United Nations (UN Charter), the ASEAN Charter, and Declaration of the East Asia Summit on the Principles for Mutually Beneficial Relations;

EMPHASISING our commitment to the following fundamental principles of the TAC: mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity and national identity of all nations; the right of every State to lead its national existence free from external interference, subversion or coercion; non-interference in the internal affairs of one another; settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful means; renunciation of the threat or use of force; and effective cooperation;

HIGHLIGHTING the importance of the principles of international law and the UN Charter, including self-determination, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the renunciation of the threat of use of force or use of force;

RECOGNISING challenges presented by the rapidly changing global and regional geopolitical and geo-economic landscapes and the need to address these challenges through cooperative and peaceful means;

RECOGNISING that ASEAN and ASEAN-led mechanisms remain inclusive and open avenues that facilitate constructive dialogue and concrete cooperation, thereby contributing to the development of the evolving regional architecture in line with the ASEAN Charter and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP);

REAFFIRMING our commitment to upholding multilateralism, while noting ASEAN’s rising global relevance and unique convening power amid the emerging multipolar global architecture, the central role of the United Nations, the purposes and principles enshrined in the UN Charter and respect for international law;

ACKNOWLEDGING that ASEAN-Russia relations over the past 30 years have developed into a mutually beneficial strategic partnership underpinned by progressive and comprehensive dialogue and cooperation and Russia’s accession to TAC strengthened its contribution to peace, stability, and sustainable development in the Asia Pacific region;

REAFFIRMING the commitment to advance ASEAN-Russia Strategic Partnership guided by the Joint Declaration of the Heads of State/Government of the Member Countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Head of State of the Russian Federation on Progressive and Comprehensive Partnership adopted at the 1st ASEAN-Russia Summit in 2005, the Joint Statement of the 3rd ASEAN-Russia Summit on Strategic Partnership adopted in 2018, the Joint Statement of the 4th ASEAN-Russia Summit: Building a Peaceful, Stable and Sustainable Region adopted in 2021, as well as Comprehensive Plan of Action to Implement the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Russian Federation Strategic Partnership (2021-2025);

APPRECIATING significant contribution of the ASEAN-Russia relations to the ASEAN integration and Community building process across the three pillars in political and security, economic and socio-cultural spheres;

RECOGNISING that amity and cooperation are crucial to achieving sustained peace, security, stability, and prosperity for the people in the region;

WE HEREBY:

1. Reaffirm the significance and essential role of the TAC as the key code of conduct in governing inter-state relations in the region and as a foundation for maintaining regional peace and stability and emphasised the importance to fulfil obligations under the TAC;

2. Acknowledge the importance of ASEAN Centrality and unity in the evolving regional architecture in the Asia-Pacific built upon ASEAN-led mechanisms with ASEAN as the driving force, and based on international law and the principles of openness, transparency, inclusivity, mutual respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, equality, trust and mutual benefit;

3. Support ASEAN’s continuous efforts on the mainstreaming and implementation of the AOIP, and advance cooperation in the AOIP’s four priority areas, namely maritime cooperation, connectivity, UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030, as well as economic;

4. Deepen cooperation between ASEAN and Russia within the relevant ASEAN-led mechanisms, in particular the East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), as well as platforms such as Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF) through active, inclusive, full, equal, effective and constructive participation with a view to enhancing ASEAN Centrality and the effectiveness of these mechanisms;

5. Welcome the successful convening of the Conference of the High Contracting Parties (HCPs) to the TAC: Reflections and Future Direction on 26 June 2024 at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat, bringing together 47 out of 54 HCPs to the TAC for the first time at the ambassadorial level. The Conference was timely to reaffirm the commitment of the HCPs to the principles and values of the TAC. The Conference also served as an avenue for dialogue among the HCPs to discuss the implementation of the TAC and future strategies to enhance relevance and visibility of the Treaty in the region and beyond, and explore cooperation between ASEAN and other HCPs under the TAC, towards the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the TAC in 2026;

6. Continue ASEAN-Russia high level dialogue, including discussions on the developments in the Asia-Pacific region;

7. Promote cooperation in the political-security, economic, social, technical, scientific and administrative fields, as well as other areas of cooperation where ASEAN and Russia have relevant expertise and mutual interests, including maritime cooperation and the ASEAN-Russia Dialogue on ICT-security Related Issues;

8. Take further joint measures to strengthen ASEAN and Russia’s cooperation in all ASEAN Community pillars and with that aim to develop the Comprehensive Plan of Action to Implement ASEAN-Russia Strategic Partnership for 2026-2030 and its successor documents;

9. Advance constructive cooperation at the United Nations and its various specialised agencies;

10. Promote possible practical cooperation on issues of mutual interest between ASEAN and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) based on Memorandum of Understanding between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Eurasian Economic Commission on Economic Cooperation signed in 2018, and ASEAN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) based on Memorandum of Understanding between the Secretariat of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Secretariat of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization signed in 2005, which could contribute to cross-regional cooperation.

It appears both China and Russia do five-year plans in diplomatic relations as well as their domestic planning. The readout from the ministerial meeting revealed nothing out of the ordinary as you’ll read:

On July 26, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held an annual meeting with the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states in Vientiane.

One of the main results was the adoption of a joint statement on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Russia's accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, a fundamental document of the Association that meets the objectives of creating a stable regional security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the implementation of the Comprehensive Action Plan for the Implementation of the Russia-ASEAN Strategic Partnership for 2021-2025. The focus was on measures to expand practical cooperation in the field of politics and security, trade, economic and humanitarian spheres. The successful launch of a new digitalization track at the beginning of this year was noted. During the discussion, the emphasis was placed on knowledge-intensive industries and the implementation of initiatives in the field of smart city development. The advanced training programmes organised by Russia for ASEAN members were highly appreciated by our partners.

The exchange of views on the current international agenda confirmed the closeness of the approaches of Russia and ASEAN to the most pressing global and regional problems, the mutual desire to form a just world order based on the principles of international law, inclusiveness and equality. In this context, we drew the attention of our partners to President Vladimir Putin's initiative to create a Eurasian security system.

In terms of expanding integration processes in Greater Eurasia, the prospects for building up cooperation between ASEAN and the Eurasian Economic Union and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization were considered. The Association expressed gratitude to Russia for supporting the central role of ASEAN in regional affairs.

The meeting was held in a traditionally friendly atmosphere.

I anticipated a press conference would be held in the aftermath, but so far there’s no indication of that occurring. In closing, this additional promising occurrence must be noted. RT reports that “India and China vow to stabilize bilateral ties” after meeting on the ASEAN sidelines:

The foreign ministers of India and China have spoken in favor of stabilizing ties at a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Laos.

“It is hoped that China and India will work in the same direction and explore how the neighbouring countries can get along,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said after speaking with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Thursday.

Wang said China-India relations have an important impact beyond just the two nations, according to a statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. “It is in the interests of both sides to get China-India relations back on track,” he stressed.

Earlier this month, the two diplomats met at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, where they agreed to “redouble efforts through diplomatic and military channels” to find an “early resolution” to long-standing border disputes….

Jaishankar also stated that ties between India and China hold “an exceptional significance” as they are the two most populous nations and among the five largest economies globally. “Our ability to ensure that [ties] are stable and forward looking is essential both for the prospects of Asia and that of the multipolar world,” he noted….

Despite continuing friction, China emerged as India’s top trading partner in the last fiscal year, with two-way trade reaching $118.4 billion. Meanwhile, Beijing has also expressed a willingness to work with India to improve ties. In May, Xu Feihong arrived in Delhi to assume office as the 17th ambassador to India after 18 months without a Chinese envoy. [Italics original]

That perhaps is the most significant outcome of the Summit as it appears Modi has decided to distance India from the US-line and return to its independent ways and pursuit of its national interests. Now let’s see what happens between India and Pakistan. It appears that the only problematic nations in Asia remain Japan, South Korea and the Philippines—Taiwan doesn’t count as a nation. Is Australia part of Asia or Oceania? And the same question applies to New Zealand. Given the backbone shown by ASEAN to continue along its path, is it possible ASEAN’s example will be emulated by those two outliers, or will they continue to be vassals to Empire and continue to exist on the periphery of geopolitics?

*
*
*
Like what you’ve been reading at Karlof1’s Substack? Then please consider subscribing and choosing to make a monthly/yearly pledge to enable my efforts in this challenging realm. Thank You!