CEBU CITY -- The Philippines, through the Department of Tourism (DOT) convened senior tourism officials from ASEAN Member States and the Russian Federation as one of ASEAN’s dialogue partners during the 16th Meeting of ASEAN - Russian Federation Tourism Consultation in Cebu City on January 27, 2026.
DOT Undersecretary Verna Buensuceso, Head of the Philippine National Tourism Organization said that the meeting aims to address challenges and facilitate Russian tourist arrivals in the region, while advancing cooperation in the tourism sector.
“Tourism remains a vital tool for economic development, driving job creation, supporting local businesses and empowering communities,” Buencuseso said in her opening message at the consultation.
Buencuseso shared that the meeting between ASEAN and Russia is focused on strengthening their strategic partnership, particularly in trade, energy, and nuclear cooperation. This key cooperation includes trade and energy, nuclear energy partnerships and economic ties.
On trade and energy cooperation, Russia and ASEAN have seen significant growth in trade, with a 5.8 percent increase in 2024, reaching $23.2B. Energy cooperation is a key area, with Russia exploring nuclear energy partnerships with several ASEAN member states, including Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Nuclear energy partnerships, Russia's state-owned nuclear corporation, Rosatom, has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with ASEAN Centre for Energy to cooperate on nuclear energy, including small modular reactors (SMRs) and floating nuclear power plants (NPPs) including Vietnam, to construct nuclear power plants and research centers.
ASEAN is Russia's 9th largest trade partner, with Russia investing in various sectors, including agriculture, energy, and infrastructure strengthened economic and the ASEAN-Russia Comprehensive Plan of Action (2021-2025) guides their cooperation, focusing on political-security, economic, and socio-cultural areas.
According to Buencuseso, these meetings enhance economic cooperation, promote trade, and strengthen regional connectivity. Russia and ASEAN aim to boost trade, with a target of $30 billion in annual trade turnover. Key areas of cooperation include energy, agriculture, and logistics.
ASEAN and EAEU are exploring a free trade agreement, with Vietnam already having an FTA with EAEU; ASEAN and Russia held a seminar on digital transformation, focusing on sharing experiences and best practices in digitalization
On Energy Cooperation, Russia is exploring energy infrastructure projects with ASEAN countries, including nuclear development partnerships with Indonesia, Myanmar, and Vietnam and infrastructure development with Russia and Thailand collaborating on projects including integrated territorial development and smart cities.
Some notable bilateral agreements include Russia-Vietnam
MoU to resume construction of the Ninh Thuáºn nuclear power plant; Russia-Indonesia
feasibility study on NPP construction, and discussions on SMR technology; Russia-Malaysia
interest in Rosatom's nuclear technology and floating NPPs and the Russia-Thailand
$1 billion investment potential, focusing on energy, infrastructure, and
technology.
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