Frameworks alone not enough, Anwar urges businesses and innovators to drive Asean‑Russia cooperation

KAZAN, June 17 — Finalisation of the Asean-Russia Strategic Programme on Trade and Investment Cooperation 2026-2035 is a shot in the arm for the next leap in economic ties, but an enabling environment is key to turning them into reality, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.

The programme, set to be adopted later this year, provides the roadmap for the next phase of economic relations between the 11-member bloc and Russia, focusing on trade and investment, emerging technologies, and climate resilience.

“But frameworks alone are not enough. Governments can create the enabling conditions; they can establish policies, remove barriers, and facilitate collaboration.

“Yet it is businesses, investors, entrepreneurs, researchers, and innovators who will ultimately transform aspirations into outcomes,” the Prime Minister said during the Asean-Russia Business Forum.

The forum was attended by more than 400 corporate and business leaders from Russia and Asean member states.

Anwar said forums like the one held today are crucial for building connections, partnerships, and ideas that enable cooperation to move beyond rhetoric and deliver tangible results.

He emphasised that Asean remains firmly committed to a rules-based international trading system, and that it continues to believe that economic progress is best advanced through cooperation rather than confrontation, and through engagement rather than exclusion.

The Prime Minister also urged Asean and Russia to guard against allowing these concerns to erode openness and connectivity. 

“Economic resilience should complement international cooperation, not replace it,” he said.

Anwar stressed that the multilateral trading system remains an indispensable pillar of global prosperity. 

“Yet it must continue to evolve in response to contemporary realities while preserving its fundamental purpose: providing stability, predictability, and opportunity for all nations, regardless of size,” he said.

In this regard, he said, Asean and Russia can contribute meaningfully by strengthening practical cooperation based on mutual respect, openness, and shared interests. 

“By building stronger links between our businesses, institutions, and our people, we can help foster a more resilient, inclusive, and prosperous global economy.

“The past 35 years have provided a strong foundation for Asean-Russia relations. The task before us now is to ensure that this relationship remains relevant to the realities of a changing world,” he said.

He added that Asean and Russia must strengthen connectivity, deepen economic cooperation, and seize opportunities emerging from technological transformation and economic change.

“Let us transform goodwill into partnerships, partnerships into projects, and projects into tangible benefits for our people.

“If we succeed, the next chapter of Asean-Russia relations will be defined not merely by stronger economic ties, but by a shared contribution to stability, resilience, and prosperity across our regions,” he said.

Anwar is in Kazan, the capital and largest city of Tatarstan, Russia, to attend the Asean-Russia Commemorative Summit from June 17-18.

During the two-day working visit, the Prime Minister is also expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. — Bernama