RUSSIA:Dmitry Medvedev is attending the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit 2017

Dmitry Medvedev is attending the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit 2017
13 November 2017 06:00 Manila, Republic of the Philippines


The theme is Building for the Future (Infrastructure Development).

Dmitry Medvedev’s remarks

Answers to session participants’ questions

Excerpts from Dmitry Medvedev’s remarks at the first session of the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit 2017:


Delegation heads from ASEAN economies and Dialogue Partners

13 November 2017


With President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte

12 November 2017


Meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen

12 November 2017


Meeting with Prime Minister of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith

12 November 2017


Photo op with ASEAN Summit participants

12 November 2017


Photo op with ASEAN Summit participants

12 November 2017


Dmitry Medvedev delivering a keynote address at Forum 1, ASEAN Business and Investment Summit 2017

13 November 2017
Следующая новость


Delegation heads from ASEAN economies and Dialogue Partners

Efforts to regulate international trade are still locked in an old paradigm that dates back 40 years despite the rapid advances in e-commerce and digital technology. There is persistent instability on the commodity markets, corporate and public debt are adding up and so-called neo-protectionist policies are used with increased frequency, making economic sanctions a competitive tool.

Russia is looking for ways to adapt to the new economic reality. We succeeded in improving our national economy to some extent by adjusting its development path slightly and reducing its excessive dependence on commodity exports. This positive momentum became visible last year and into 2017. Growth is recovering in Russia with GDP expected to increase 2 percent by the end of the year.

This economic policy focuses on providing anti-crisis support to high-potential industries and the banking sector. Some measures remain in place even now, as is the free float of the national currency and inflation targeting. We keep a close eye on the budget deficit in order to ensure that the budget is balanced while the price of oil remains relatively low.

We are addressing structural imbalances, and there is positive momentum in economic sectors that are not related to oil and gas. They benefit from competitive advantages on the domestic market.

Dmitry Medvedev delivering a keynote address at Forum 1, ASEAN Business and Investment Summit 2017

Russia currently has a trade surplus, and an opportunity to expand its currency reserves. Against this backdrop, it makes perfect sense that foreign investors are increasingly interested in Russian projects. In the first six months of 2017, foreign direct investment increased by more than 100 percent.

We are facing the complex and challenging task of promoting international cooperation in information technology, encouraging e-commerce and cross-border business activity, while also ensuring national and information security. Russia is ready to engage proactively in these efforts. In fact, we have already adopted a special strategy for the development of an information society and a programme on the digital economy.

For more than 20 years, Russia and ASEAN have cooperated in the special framework of a dialogue partnership, focusing on trade and investment promotion, although trade volumes remain quite modest.

We see genuine interest within the business community of our countries to cooperate on energy, transport, agriculture, satellite navigation, high technology, financial services, and in almost all possible areas.

From 2014 to 2017 alone, Russia sent high-profile business missions to Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Brunei-Darussalam, Myanmar and the Philippines.

Russia is also ready to contribute to ASEAN initiatives to develop energy, transport and information infrastructure. Offering the most efficient transport routes is a priority for us. We are developing seaports and airport infrastructure in Russia’s Far East and are building cross-border oil and gas pipelines.

The main goal of all these efforts is to ensure maximum efficiency in cargo transport between Asia and Europe and create a major transport and industrial hub in Russia’s Far East to serve the Asia-Pacific Region.

More than 500 joint investment projects have already been launched in Russia’s Far East. Only recently, we held the Eastern Economic Forum there, during which contracts worth almost $50 billion were signed.

Having a large market with clear regulations and developed infrastructure is a key prerequisite for business success. We wanted to create an environment of this kind within a new integration body, the Eurasian Economic Union, which, at this point, includes Russia and four other countries.

Together with our EAEU partners, Russia is interested in broad cooperation with the ASEAN countries. The first full free trade agreement between the EAEU countries and an ASEAN member state, Vietnam, came into force last year. We have recently completed talks on a similar agreement with China, and there is ongoing discussion of the creation of a multilateral free trade area between EAEU and ASEAN. We are also conducting separate talks on this matter with specific ASEAN countries.

Russia belongs to the Asia-Pacific Region in terms of its geopolitics, history and economy. Promoting cooperation with all countries within the region and contributing proactively to resolving regional issues is a strategic priority for us.

Excerpts from Dmitry Medvedev’s answers to session participants’ questions:

Question: Russia has achieved great success and a high level of competence in infrastructure technology. What role can Russia play in accelerating the implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 and strengthening cooperation between Russia and our region in this regard?

Dmitry Medvedev: We are willing to provide our infrastructure capacities to all ASEAN economies. This includes airports and seaports, railways, roads, pipelines, powerlines and high-speed communication channels.

These opportunities may be available with due account for prospective cooperation, even more so because in the past years a wide range of major infrastructure project have been completed.

We are currently preparing for the 2018 World Cup that Russia will be hosting next year.

We also see great potential in developing the Northern Sea Route. We have improved the major corridors in our country, including the Baikal-Amur Mainline and the Trans-Siberian Railway that connect Europe and Asia. We also continue to develop international transport corridors. All of our experience is available to our ASEAN partners.

For example, Russian Railways is participating in a large project to build complex infrastructure in Kalimantan (Borneo) in Indonesia, including a new railway and a coal transport terminal.

There are examples of investment in Russian infrastructure. In particular, Singapore’s Changi Airports International has invested in the development of an air hub in Vladivostok.

Dmitry Medvedev meets with Prime Minister of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith
12 November 2017 17:00 Manila, Republic of the Philippines


The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 2017 ASEAN Summit.

Transcript of the meeting's beginning:





Meeting with Prime Minister of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith

Dmitry Medvedev: Mr Prime Minister, dear Laotian colleagues,

I am very pleased to have another meeting with you. Just recently, on 26 September, we met in Moscow and held talks. Laos is our important partner in Southeast Asia, and you and I mapped out the ways we will boost and develop our cooperation, as there is much to be done. We will work to implement these plans. This meeting in Manila and the East Asia and ASEAN summits provide us a good opportunity to exchange information on the state of our affairs.

Thongloun Sisoulith (via interpreter): Thank you very much, Mr Prime Minister, for taking the time to meet after our talks in Moscow. It is very good that we have this opportunity.

We are very glad to have had a fruitful discussion in Moscow on our bilateral relations. Once more, I express my deep appreciation for the warm welcome. I should note that all the issues that were on the agenda have been successfully discussed and progress has been achieved.

Dmitry Medvedev's meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen
12 November 2017 15:00 Manila, Republic of the Philippines
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 2017 ASEAN Summit.
The transcript of the meeting's beginning:





Meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen

Dmitry Medvedev: Mr Prime Minister, my most heartfelt greetings to you. You and I meet on a regular basis: we met in 2014; in 2015 I visited Cambodia and this visit was a very interesting one; in 2016 you visited Russia during the ASEAN-Russia summit. Last year we marked the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries. On 9 November, you observed a national holiday, Independence Day, on which I cordially congratulate you.


Today we have a good opportunity to exchange information on how this cooperation is developing.Mr Hun Sen, we already have a vast history of relations. This is manifested in economic indicators, mutual trade, the number of Russian tourists visiting your country, and other indicators of developing economic cooperation between our countries.



Hun Sen (via interpreter): Mr Prime Minister, thank you very much for this greeting. We have met each year since 2014. Thank you very much for your congratulations on the 61st anniversary of our independence, which we marked on 9 November. Over the last few years our two countries have had many meetings and maintained active contacts. The links between our countries have a long 60-year history. Most importantly, Russia has provided help to Cambodia and this is the main reason for our achievements in all areas, including economic growth.

After your visit to Cambodia I visited Russia, and our delegations have often visited Russia as well. They are engaged in implementing the agreements we signed earlier.