ASEAN Centre: The Year Of 25th Anniversary Of ASEAN-Russia Dialogue .

ASEAN CENTRE: HIGHLIGHTS The VI Vietnam Day started with an academic conference “Vietnam in Contemporary International Relations: in Search of Answers to the New Challenges” organized in two sections: “Russia and Vietnam in Regional Dynamics” and “Domestic and Foreign Policy of Vietnam”. There were 15 presentations in total on a wide range of topics: international migration, political trends in Vietnam, Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific, etc. At the end of the conference, the jury selected two best presentations, whose authors received special prizes, with another two presentations winning a special nomination. Among the jury were ASEAN Centre Director (2010-2021) Dr. Victor Sumsky, Associate Professors of the Department of Asian and African Studies Dr. Elena Yakovleva and Dr. Anna Kireeva, as well as Senior Lecturer at the Department of Chinese, Vietnamese, Lao and Thai Languages Ms. Svetlana Glazunova. The event culminated in a concert, which took place in the MGIMO New Building Hall. The Chairperson of the MGIMO Vietnamese Students Association Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Yen welcomed the guests and passed the floor for opening remarks to Mr. Egor Andreev, the Head of MGIMO International Department, followed by Dr. Ekaterina Koldunova, ASEAN Centre Acting Director and Mr. Le Chi Loi, First Secretary of the Embassy of Vietnam in Moscow. The concert program envisioned traditional and modern dances, songs, theatre plays and opera, which were performed by professional artists and students from Moscow and Saint-Petersburg Universities. After the concert all the guest were offered a try of some Vietnamese traditional dishes. Following the conference, the students specializing in the Vietnamese Language from MGIMO University, Institute of Asian and African Countries (Lomonosov Moscow State University), National Research University Higher School of Economics and Moscow State Linguistic University, took part in the Quiz on Vietnamese culture, language and contemporary development. The team from the Linguistic University won the first prize. The workshop “Vietnamese and Russian Studies Graduates: Career Path” dwelled into the particularities of work with Russian and Vietnamese languages and career opportunities. MGIMO graduates shared their experience and gave practical advice to students. 14 15

ASEAN CENTRE: HIGHLIGHTS May, 2021 65th Anniversary of Russia- Cambodia Diplomatic Relations On May 13, MGIMO University and the National Institute of Diplomacy and International Relations of Cambodia held a roundtable discussion in commemoration of the 65th anniversary of Russia- Cambodia diplomatic relations. The roundtable discussion agenda covered three topics, namely “The overall assessment of Russia- Cambodia relations in the regional context”, “Multilateralism in cyber governance as the emerging issue in the 21st century” and “Economic Diplomacy in post- COVID‑19”. In his welcoming remarks, H. E. Prof. Dr. Chhem Kieth Rethy, Minister attached to the Prime Minister of Cambodia, noted the relevance of the discussed topics and underlined the importance of conducting similar events despite the restrictions imposed by the COVID‑19. MGIMO Rector Prof. Anatoly Torkunov shared his personal memories of Cambodia and assured NIDIR of readiness of MGIMO University to continue strengthening cooperation. To commemorate the date, ASEAN Centre with the support of the Third Asia Department and the Department of History and Records of the MFA of Russia prepared an exposition of photo and documentary materials. Additionally, the photo exposition “Incredible Cambodia” made by wellknown travel photographer Sergey Kovalchuk was presented at MGIMO New Building. 16 17

ASEAN CENTRE: HIGHLIGHTS May, 2021 45th Anniversary of Russia- Philippines Diplomatic Relations On May 25, ASEAN Centre in MGIMO University in cooperation with Foreign Service Institute of the Philippines held an online Conference Dedicated to the 45th Anniversary of Russia- Philippines Diplomatic Relations. The conference agenda covered a wide range of bilateral relations issues, such as political and security, interparliamentary cooperation, trade, and economy, culture and people-to people contacts. The sessions were moderated by Dr. Ekaterina Koldunova, ASEAN Centre Acting Director, Associate Professor at the Department of Asian and African Studies, and Ms. Luningning G. Camoying, Deputy Chief of Presidential Protocol in Charge of Substantial Matters, Office of Presidential Protocol of the Philippines. 18 In her opening remarks H. E. Elizabeth Buensuceso, Undersecretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, highlighted the landmarks in bilateral relations history and charted its prospective spheres of cooperation. She accentuated the high dynamics in the cooperation development, both in bilateral and multilateral domain: within regional and international cooperation mechanisms. Her counterpart, H. E. Igor Morgulov, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia stated that Russia considers the Philippines to be one of its key partners in Southeast Asia and places special emphasis on promoting bilateral relations, as well as supports ASEAN central role in the regional affairs. A separate part of Mr. Morgulov speech was devoted to cultural and humanitarian ties between the two countries. 19

ASEAN CENTRE: HIGHLIGHTS The Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of the Philippines, H. E. Marat Pavlov and the Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to the Russian Federation, H. E. Carlos Sorreta italicized the importance of Russia- Philippines cooperation in politics and security, identifying the prospective spheres of cooperation, including energy, food security, infrastructure, IT and medicine. They also discussed the necessity to provide adequate analytical research on the effectiveness of the cooperation and support training of the staff possessing knowledge of either Russian or Tagalog languages. To commemorate the date ASEAN Centre has launched an exposition of rare documents and records, which let the viewers get an insight on the history of bilateral relations between Russia and the Philippines. The materials exposed are from ASEAN Centre, Russian Embassy in the Philippines, Third Asia Department and the Department of History and Records of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs archives. The conference was covered by Filipino media: The Manila Times, Philstar Global, Philippine News Agency. 20 21

ASEAN CENTRE: HIGHLIGHTS October, 2021 30th Anniversary of Russia- Brunei Diplomatic Relations On October 4, MGIMO hosted the Brunei Day to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The event had two parts: the round table entitled “The Diplomacy of Art and The Art of Diplomacy” and the opening of the exhibition by the Honorary Member of the Russian Academy of Arts, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Brunei Darussalam to Russia His Excellency Haini Hashim. 22 At the round table, the reports were devoted to the history and current state of the relations between Brunei and Russia, the interaction between Russia and ASEAN as well as individual aspects of the development of art and culture in Southeast Asia in general and in Brunei in particular. The participants of the round table discussed such issues as the role of cultural ties in the development of relations between Russia and Southeast Asia, the support of the creative community by the diplomatic missions in particular and the cultural institutes by the state in general, peculiarities of contemporary cultural developments in Southeast Asia and how hard it is to work in this area and popularize the achievements of artists from these countries in the sphere of art. 23

ASEAN CENTRE: HIGHLIGHTS The round table was followed by the opening of the solo exhibition by the foreign Honorary Member of the Russian Academy of Arts and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Brunei Darussalam to the Russian Federation His Excellency Haini Hashim at the atrium of the MGIMO New Building. The exhibition included portraits and thematic compositions created in different years, with some of them being made during the lockdown in Moscow. It was devoted to the reflections concerning the artist’s personal experience as a diplomat, his family and his life in Russia. It was particularly important for the author to present his pieces at MGIMO, one of the most important training centers for diplomats, to share his experience with the younger generation. Among the distinguished guests and participants were diplomats, artists, as well as scholars, historians, and ethnographers studying various aspects of the development of Southeast Asian countries. The Brunei Day at MGIMO was attended by the representatives of all ten ASEAN countries’ embassies in Moscow, with many ambassadors and deputy heads of the missions taking part in the event. 24 25

ASEAN CENTRE: HIGHLIGHTS October, 2021 World Expo 2020, Dubai: “Connecting Minds, Creating Future” On December 13-17 Ms. Ekaterina Tronevskaya, Deputy Director of the ASEAN Centre and Dr. Valeria Vershinina, Centre‘s expert paid a working visit to Dubai, UAE to attend the international exhibition World Expo 2021 and to participate in the scheduled events at the Russian and ASEAN pavilions. This year the ASEAN pavilion that showcases the Association’s history and its activities was presented at the World Expo Mobility Distract. The Pavilion’s key concept is “Creating Opportunities for the Peoples of ASEAN”. At the request of the ASEAN Secretariat and MFA of Russia, the ASEAN Centre donated several books and souvenirs devoted to the history of Russia-ASEAN dialogue partnership to be displayed at the ASEAN pavilion. 26 27

ASEAN CENTRE: HIGHLIGHTS October 11–12, 2021 Network of ASEAN-Russia Think Tanks (NARTT) On October 11–12, MGIMO University as the designated national NARTT coordinator hosted the Third Meeting of the Network of ASEAN-Russia Think Tanks (NARTT). The meeting was dedicated to the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-Russia Dialog Partnership and the 30th Anniversary of their Bilateral Relations. MGIMO University was represented at the event by Dr. Andrey Baykov, Vice- Rector for Science and Research; Dr. Ekaterina Koldunova, Acting Director, ASEAN Centre; Dr. Victor Sumsky, Senior Expert, ASEAN Centre, and Dr. Elena Zinovieva, Deputy Director of Centre for International Information Security, Science and Technology Policy (CIIS) MGIMO University. Among other Russian research institutions were the Russian Foreign Trade Academy and the Central Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology, Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor). Dr. Andrey Baykov and H. E. Ros Soveacha, Secretary General of the Accreditation Committee and Spokesperson, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of Cambodia, delivered their welcoming remarks to the meeting participants representing research institutions and academic from all ten ASEAN countries and Russia. 28 The introductory speech was also given by H. E. Alexander Ivanov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. In his opening remarks Dr. Baykov stressed the importance of the academic discussion as an effective mean for the convergence of Russia’s and ASEAN’s interests despite the remote format of the meeting, while H. E. Ros Soveacha reaffirmed the Cambodia’s commitment to host the next NARTT meeting in 2022. H. E. Alexander Ivanov praised the effectiveness of the mechanism, noting the particular contribution to the development of ASEAN- Russia strategic partnership of the previous NARTT recommendations, presented to the Russian and ASEAN Senior officials. The two-day agenda covered various topics, comprised into four thematic sessions, namely: ASEAN-Russia Strategic Partnership in the broader regional context, digital divide and the ICT-related security concerns, health security challenges during the pandemic, new realities of global and regional economic development. The discussion ended in a general wish to forge dialogue further, with some of the participants proposing concrete steps to develop Russia- ASEAN Strategic Partnership. 29

ASEAN CENTRE: HIGHLIGHTS October 15–16, 2021 International Conference “Russia and ASEAN in the Asia-Pacific Region: Dynamics of Cooperation, Regional Processes and Global Context” On October 15, the international research conference “Russia and ASEAN in the Asia- Pacific Region: Dynamics of Cooperation, Regional Processes and Global Context” started within the framework of the 13th Russian International Studies Association (RISA) Convention to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Russia- ASEAN Dialogue Partnership and the 30th anniversary of their bilateral relations. The Conference was inaugurated by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Igor Morgulov, who stressed that the development of cooperation with ASEAN has always been a priority of Russia in the Asia- Pacific, promoting stability and steady development of the region. In three decades, a flexible system of dialogue mechanisms has been created and continues to broaden, serving as a basis for further cooperation in security, information and communication technologies, and healthcare. The ASEAN Center in MGIMO University has made an important contribution, playing a significant role in cooperation with ASEAN countries on the second track. The participants of the Conference were welcomed by the ex-Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Marty Natalegawa (2009– 2014), who noted the publication of his book “Does ASEAN Matter?” in Russian, which is a new joint project with the MGIMO ASEAN Center. The book studies the history of the Association, its contribution to the building of ‘strategic trust’ in Southeast Asia, explaining how ASEAN secured ‘the central role’ in many organizations of cooperation in the Asia- Pacific. The guests were also welcomed by the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports of Cambodia Hang Chuon Naron, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to Russia Dang Minh Khoi, the Ambassador of Russia to ASEAN Alexander Ivanov, all of whom are MGIMO graduates. The Chairman of the Russia- ASEAN Business Council Ivan Polyakov shared his vision of the development of trade and economic as well as investment cooperation. The MGIMO Vice- Rector for Science and Research Andrey Baykov told the audience that the Conference would be aimed at discussing relevant issues of bilateral cooperation between Russia and ASEAN, assessing the current state of the dialogue partnership in the context of the pandemic, analyzing the dynamics of the Southeast Asia development, as well as identifying major trends in political and economic development of individual members of the Association. A special mention deserve the participants of the Conference, who are young researchers from Moscow, Saint- Petersburg, Tomsk, Tyumen, Vladivostok, Asian and European countries. The event concluded with a special address by the Secretary- General of ASEAN Lim Jock Hoi. The plenary session was moderatedby Director of the ASEAN Center in MGIMO Ekaterina Koldunova. 30 31

ASEAN CENTRE: HIGHLIGHTS November 21–26, 2021 ASEAN Week The event comprised a series of academic, cultural and educational meetings co-organized by MGIMO Students Club for Southeast Asia Studies and the ASEAN Centre and aimed to disseminate information about the ASEAN- Russia dialogue partnership. This year the ASEAN Week included: master class on making Indonesian batik, diplomatic game “Peaceful Resolution of the Political Crisis in Myanmar”, online round table dedicated to the upcoming presidential elections in the Philippines, masterclass by the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation on working with East and Southeast Asian countries and Cultural Evening of ASEAN countries with a concert. 32 33

ASEAN CENTRE: HIGHLIGHTS December 9–11, 2021 ASEAN Week: Regional Edition in Vladivostok This year the MGIMO’s ASEAN Centre in cooperation with the Far Eastern Federal University organized the first ever ASEAN Week: Regional Edition– educational event devoted to ASEAN in the regions of Russia. The event’s agenda included: City quest around Vladivostok places devoted to Southeast Asia; Lecture by Dr. Victor Sumsky, ASEAN Centre’s Director (2010–2021); Lecture by Mr. Alexander Virich, Honorary Council of Laos in Russia; Interactive quiz and diplomatic game on ASEAN Cooperation on Environment with welcoming remarks by H. E. Alexander Ivanov, Ambassador of Russia to ASEAN and Dr. Ekaterina Koldunova,ASEAN Centre’s Acting Director; Meetings with ASEAN Students, studying in Vladivostok. 34 35

VISITS&EVENTS March, 2021 Presentation of the Book dedicated to the 70‑year Vietnam- Russia ties A book featuring 70‑year Vietnam- Russia relations compiled by Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Ngo Duc Manh was publicly introduced at a ceremony held by the embassy in Moscow on March 5. Among the guests of the ceremony were representatives of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Federation Council, State Duma, administrations of Moscow, Saint Petersburg as well as scholars, students and Vietnamese expatriates. Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador Manh said the book is a gift of gratitude for leaders, people, and readers of the two countries, which, he said, shared a traditional friendship of closeness, trust, mutual understanding and support during the war time and today in the current national construction cause. 36 Consisting of five parts with 624 pages, the book gives an overview of the Vietnam- Russia ties and introduces late Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh’s activities in Russia, who set the foundation for the bilateral relations. It features more than 700 images and documents classified into diplomatic events and cooperation activities in politics, economy, defence- security, culture, education, science, and people-to-people diplomacy. The section on the history of the development of Vietnamese studies in Russia gives a high assessment to the level of education of Vietnamese students at MGIMO. The book notes the activities of the ASEAN Center in the development of Russian- Vietnamese relations in the field of education and science. A number of youth events organized by the ASEAN Centre with participation of Russian and Vietnamese students are also mentioned in the book. 37

VISITS&EVENTS June 15–21, 2021 ASEAN Centre Birthday Questionnaire The online contest dedicated to the ASEAN Centre s 11th Anniversary was c

Russia Summit in Sochi the ASEAN-Russia Eminent Persons Group, which included representatives of all ten ASEAN member states and Russia, issued its report titled "ASEAN and Russia: a Future-Oriented Multidimensional Strategic Partnership". Its main recommendation was about upgrading ASEAN-Russia relations to the level of strategic partnership