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RUSSIA - ASEAN RELATIONS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Hendra Manurung
On February 21, 2019, upon the elevation of the ASEAN-Russia partnership to strategic
level at the 3rd ASEAN-Russia Summit (https://asean.org/asean-russia-commit-deepen-
cooperation, 21 February 2019). Russia has reaffirmed its commitment to further
deepen and substantiate cooperation with ASEAN in the areas of, among others, science
and technology, energy, connectivity, information and communication technology,
education, health, trade and foreign investment, and in combating transnational crime,
drugs trafficking, including through maximizing utilization of ASEAN-Russia Dialogue
Partnership Financial Fund (ARDPFF) to facilitate ASEAN-Russia cooperative projects.
For Russia leaders have fully commitment to deepening cooperation with ASEAN as
regional organization.
For Russia and President Vladimir Putin, fighting against COVID-19 is needed as stated
by Putin Address to the Nation on June 23, 2020
(http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/63548):
“It is for this reason that the fight against the epidemic started along the
perimeter of our country. We stepped up sanitary controls at our borders, and
these measures paid off, enabling us to fend off the first blow, delay the epidemic,
its peak, for a month and a half or two months. Therefore it was back then in
February and early March that we were able to win precious time, which enabled
us to do everything to save tens of thousands of lives, and I really mean tens of
thousands. We saw that we could counter the epidemic, and understood that
what mattered the most was to be forward-thinking and proactive in learning
from the experience of other countries, preparing ourselves and using the time
we had to consolidate and mobilize the reserves we had, and increase the
capabilities of our healthcare system and manufacturing. It was also obvious that
in today’s interconnected world it was impossible to completely shield ourselves
from this threat. Sooner or later, the virus would penetrate our homes, our
borders. This was clear to us”.
International relations, for Russia, can be defined as a system based on the generally
recognized principles and rules of international law and on political and diplomatic
methods of solving international problems. Putin also stated that their countries stand
for improvements in the United Nations system and increasing the efficiency of that
organization's various mechanisms.
In Jakarta, on June 17, 2020, Indonesia proposed three potentials strategic cooperation
involve Southeast Asia and Russia Federation in fighting against COVID-19 pandemic. It
results from the ASEAN foreign minister meeting with Russian foreign minister
counterpart (Bisnis.com, June 17, 2020).
In Asia Pacific region, Russia and Indonesia mutual interest to have stronger relations
are generally on the rise and are dynamically evolving. Russia and Indonesia have great
potential for the intensification of cooperation in the political, trade, economic,
technological and military-technical fields. During COVID-19 pandemic, the recently
improved political and economic situation in Indonesia acts as the foundation for this
development.
In the international system and the achievement of security stability in the Southeast
Asian region, Indonesia must be able to enhance a leading role and strengthen a better
position in the implementation of any international cooperation through effective
economic diplomacy to support the sustainability of national interests and efforts to
creating a positive perception of Indonesia at the international level.
On 21 April 2003, following talks with Indonesia President Megawati Sukarnoputri,
Vladimir Putin declared that Russia and Indonesia advocate the formation of an
equitable and democratic system of international relations
(http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/28511). Russia and Indonesia signed a
Declaration on the Foundations of Friendly and Partner Relations between the Russian
Federation and the Republic of Indonesia in the 21st Century, which is a political
document which is called upon to determine Russian-Indonesian relations in the long-
term.
The United States and China influence competition and tight rivalries grow more
intense since 2017, and make Moscow must assess which side will do more to do self-
help solving its problems across the former Soviet space. However, Moscow’s choice will
effect on how Russia’s identification as European, Asian, or Eurasian sooner or later.
After the end of the cold war and Arab spring 2011, Russia's active movements in Asia
mostly related to Japan, South Korea, and India. But in 2018, President Vladimir Putin
apparently began to realize how great the potential for economic cooperation with
Southeast Asian countries. Probably, it always starts from a trade agreement to the sale
of weapons to nuclear cooperation, in which Moscow makes itself a competitor of the
third country in the strategic region, in addition to balancing the widening influence of
Washington D.C and Beijing in the Asia Pacific regions.
Nevertheless, in spite of a stronger emphasis on the development of political relations
and trade with countries of the Asia-Pacific region in the last ten years, Russia has been
so much focus on the strategic alliance with China and strengthening ties with Japan,
South Korea, India, and Indonesia. The Kremlin previously paid relatively little
attention to Southeast Asia. But there are also positive signs by Moscow which now have
begun to change the orientation of foreign policy and defense policies abroad through
Russian bilateral defense cooperation with Indonesia and Vietnam.
On November 14, 2018, during East Asia Summit (EAS) regional meeting, Russia
President Vladimir Putin attendance has shown and relevance signaled in Asia Pacific
region (Asia Times, November 15, 2018). Obviously, it shows on how Kremlin utilizes its
optimal efforts to proactively playing bigger role in securing Asia Pacific regional
stability dynamically. The U.S President Donald Trump has not attended the summit
and assigned Vice President Mike Pence to be there. However, each of Southeast Asia
countries always attempts to have closer relations with the United States as some of
them do not want to live in the region dominated by China as they want to have choice,
an also want to maintain regional balance of power.
Russian Federation and ASEAN member-states together with Indonesia continuous
regional leadership have in common that that weathered the financial crisis of the late
1990s and emerged as stronger economies. Within a decade, in particular, the
sustainable relationship has evolved from compressive cooperation to a strategic
partnership with some ASEAN members such as Indonesia.
Indonesia's foreign minister, Retno L.P Marsudi stated clearly that the latest
certification for Avifavir and Levilimab as a drug that can cure Covid-19 in Russia has
also shown encouraging medical developments
(https://kabar24.bisnis.com/read/20200617/15/1254082/kemitraan-asia-tenggara-
rusia-indonesia-usulkan-3-kerja-sama-
ini?utm_source=Line&utm_medium=Artikel&utm_campaign=Line%20TodayBisnis.co
m, June 17, 2020). All this three proposals by Indonesia only focus on how the response
of both parties to the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic inter-regionally. Suppose that
this proposal of cooperation is not only short term, but also can be applied in medium
and long term period. Those three Indonesia proposals, i.e.:
First, in the development and procurement of vaccines and medications aimed at
COVID-19. Thus, through this partnership, suppose will guarantee access and affordable
prices for all countries. In fact, Russia has qualified technology. Nine of the 130
candidate vaccine derived from Russia.
Second. It is related to the improvement of health cooperation through existing
mechanisms in ASEAN. During the meeting, Indonesia encouraged the Russian
Federation government to become the leading state-actor in improving public health
governance in the Southeast Asia region, including in relation to previous and current
crisis prevention, and also anticipating to the pandemic in the future.
One of them is through the establishment of preventive mechanisms in the Southeast
Asian region and supporting the strengthening of the ASEAN COVID-19 Response Fund
through the previously established ASEAN-Russia cooperation fund.
Additionally, closer and sustainable cooperation is also needed that should encouraged
as soon as possible to support the formation of strategic regional medical supplies, as
well as the development of military medicine competencies for Southeast Asian
countries that are members of ASEAN today.
Third, is how the collaborative efforts of economic recovery that can be carried out by
ASEAN and Russia effectively done post-COVID-19. This cooperation as much as
possible can be realized through the establishment of a regional collaboration of two
organizations in the near future, ASEAN and the Eurasian Economic Commission
(EEC).
Indonesia, recently, has asked the regional organizations can immediately explore the
possibility of formation of a more intense cooperation as agreed in the Memorandum of
Understanding between ASEAN and EEC.
Henceforth, in responding to COVID-19 pandemic and dynamics of international
political system, Indonesia under President Joko Widodo national leadership, as also
the largest democracy in Southeast Asia during this global pandemic, needs to manage
the positive perception of the Indonesian economy, especially to encourage increased
foreign investment and strengthen Indonesia's trade access to regional and
international markets, as well as an understanding of national and foreign policy.
Indonesia through its free and active foreign policy, however, needs to immediately
reconstruct the formulation of positions and play how to strengthen Indonesia's role at
the bilateral, regional, pluri-lateral and multi-lateral levels. Then, it proceeds with the
implementation of the intensification and extension of international relations to support
the national interest; exchange of data and / or information to support the sustainable
formulation of Indonesian economic policies in ASEAN with Russia and Eurasian
economic cooperation; accompanied by the sustainability of human resource capacity
development programs in the region.
Thus, in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, ASEAN, Russia and Indonesia must able to
enhance more implementing various modes of mutual cooperation for achievement of
international peace and co-prosperity in the Southeast Asia region.
Hendra Manurung is currently lecturer of international relations @President
University, Cikarang, West Java, Indonesia.
