Exactly 25 years ago, Asean and Russia established a Dialogue Partnership which is beneficial for both parties.
The Asean Centre, established later on, played an important role in the development of the dialogue process.
The centre, situated in Moscow State Institute (University) of International Relations (MGIMO), is under the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last year.
It was officially opened on June 15, 2010, at the new university building. The centre was formed in accordance with the memorandum signed in July 2009 by Asean secretary-general Dr Surin Pitsuvan and Prof Anatoly Torkunov, the rector of MGIMO.
The centre's mission is to spread information on the Asean-Russia dialogue partnership; to facilitate development of economic linkages, and cultural, scientific and educational exchanges as well as people-to-people contacts between Russia and the Asean member countries; and, to carry out and support research on issues related to Asean and its member states.
Dr Victor Sumsky, a specialist in current history of Southeast Asian countries and international relations in the region, was the first director of the Asean Centre.
During these years, the centre was honoured to welcome a number of Southeast Asian political elites.
Among them were current Asean secretary-general Lim Jock Hoi, and his predecessor, Le Luong Minh, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, ministers and heads of government agencies of Southeast Asian states, Asean ambassadors to Russia and other representatives of diplomatic corps.
The centre's hallmark events were Asean-Russia University Forums (since 2016) and Asean-Russia Forum on Education, Youth Summits (since 2013 — five have been held, with the second one in Kuala Lumpur in October 2014), meetings of the Asean-Russia Eminent Persons Group and the Network of Asean-Russia Think Tanks, the Asean Kids' Summit, and Asean Weeks participated by students learning the languages of Asean countries.
Since 2020, most of the events were organised online. The centre published hundreds of analytical materials prepared by its experts, organised and supported dozens of cultural events and business projects, which involved the centre's partners in Russia and Asean member states.
Among the new projects are the Asean Academic Days that will become an annual programme. In the first Academic Days, held from Oct 7 to 23, 2019, two Malaysian representatives, Professor Anthony Milner of Universiti Malaya and Professor Kuik Cheng Chwee of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, participated. They presented several papers and took part (with Russian scholars) in the round table "Malaysia before and after the 14th General Elections".
The Asean Academic Days last year, which were held online, highlighted the discussion of the book written by the former Indonesian ambassador to Russia Wahid Supriyadi, titled The Lighter and Funnier Sides of Diplomacy.
According to the new director of the Asean Centre, Dr Ekaterina Koldunova, a prominent specialist in Southeast Asian Studies, the centre plans to prepare new academic publications and to continue expert dialogue with research centers in Asean countries, academic and educational centres in Russia.
The writer, writing from Russia, is a former lecturer of Universiti Malaya