President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has underscored the need to further strengthen Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – Russia relations by expanding cooperation in emerging sectors with significant untapped potential.

In an interview with Russia Today following his participation at the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit in Kazan, Marcos said the partnership between the regional bloc and Moscow has developed over the past three decades but has yet to reach its full potential.

“In terms of ASEAN, it has steadily developed, but not at a particularly high rate. Although there are exceptions within the member states of ASEAN, where some countries have gone further than other countries,” Marcos said.

He pointed to emerging areas of cooperation that were not part of traditional economic relations in the past, particularly in advanced technology, artificial intelligence (AI), data centers, and power generation.

He acknowledged Russia’s increasing role in these sectors, adding such developments present new opportunities for deeper collaboration between ASEAN and external partners.

“But again, the recognition that there is this potential that we really did not take full advantage of in the past is now with areas that simply did not exist,” he said.

He said ASEAN is “growing up fast” in terms of diversifying partnerships beyond traditional alignments.

He described the current phase of ASEAN-Philippine relations as a “new day” marked by expanding dialogue and evolving priorities, particularly in science- and technology-driven sectors.

“I suppose it’s a kind of momentum from the bipolar world. We are growing up fast, in other words. And we are changing very much the outlook in terms of who we deal with around the world and what are the things that we can do together. It’s very much a new day. It has been a constant increasing engagement between ASEAN and Russia,” Marcos said.

The ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit marked over 35 years of dialogue relations and set the direction for deeper cooperation in the years ahead, with a focus on delivering concrete benefits to their peoples.

The commemorative summit resulted in the adoption of key outcome documents that will guide the next phase of the partnership, including the Kazan Declaration 2026, the ASEAN-Russia Comprehensive Plan of Action for 2026–2030, and joint documents advancing cooperation in culture and energy. (PNA)