Hanoi (VNA) - Russian Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Evgeny Zagaynov has underlined the importance of Southeast Asia in the world.
Russia and ASEAN boast a long-standing history of cooperation and close relations in many fields, he said in an interview with the RIA news agency.
According to the diplomat, ASEAN is one of the regions with the most dynamic development and continuous growth in recent years, saying that ASEAN's gross domestic product (GDP) reached 3.3 trillion USD in 2021.
Last year, the economic growth in Southeast Asia reached 5.5% and its GDP will be nearly 4 trillion USD this year, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Zagaynov said this year marks a significant milestone in ASEAN-Russia relations as the two sides commemorate the fifth anniversary of their strategic partnership. They have approved the action plan for the 2021-2025 period, he said, adding that the implementation of the plan was discussed at a meeting of senior officials of Russia and ASEAN held in Cambodia in late April.
All speeches of the parties affirmed their desire to continue developing cooperation between the two sides in all fields, including politics and security, and counter-terrorism, the ambassador said.
Some fields with potential for cooperation between the two sides are the training of law enforcement officers, payment in local currency, digital transformation, tourism, energy, combating infectious diseases, and education, he added./.
42nd ASEAN Summit wraps up highlighting three key pillars
The 42nd ASEAN Summit concluded on May 11 after three days of meetings, with leaders approving many documents in all three key pillars of political security, economy, and socioculture.
