12 October 2021
On October 11-12 MGIMO University as the designated national NARTT coordinator hosted the Third Meeting of the Network of Russia-ASEAN Think Tanks (NARTT). The meeting is dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Russia-ASEAN Dialog Partnership and the 30th Anniversary of their Bilateral Relations.
MGIMO University was represented at the event by Dr. Andrey Baykov, Vice-Rector for Scientific Affairs; Dr. Ekaterina Koldunova, Acting Director, ASEAN Centre; Dr. Victor Sumsky, Senior Expert, ASEAN Centre, and Dr. Elena Zinovieva, Deputy Director of Centre for International Information Security, Science and Technology Policy (CIIS) MGIMO University. Among other Russian research institutions were the Russian Foreign Trade Academy and the Central Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology, Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor).
Dr. Andrey Baykov and H.E. Ros Soveacha, Secretary General of the Accreditation Committee and Spokesperson, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of Cambodia, delivered their welcoming remarks to the meeting participants representing scientific, research institutions and academia from all ten ASEAN counties and Russia. The introductory speech was also given by H.E. Alexander Ivanov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
In his opening remarks Dr. Baykov stressed the importance of the scientific discussion as an effective mean for the convergence of Russia ASEAN interests despite the remote format of the meeting, while H.E. Ros Soveacha reaffirmed the Cambodia’s commitment to host the next NARTT meeting in 2022. H.E. Alexander Ivanov praised the effectiveness of the mechanism, noting the particular contribution to the development of Russia-ASEAN strategic partnership of the previous NARTT recommendations, presented to the Russian and ASEAN Senior officials.
The two-day agenda covered various topics, comprised into four thematic sessions, namely: ASEAN-Russia Strategic Partnership in the broader regional context, digital divide and the ICT-related security concerns, health security challenges during the pandemic, new realities of global and regional economic development.
The discussion ended in a general wish to forge dialog further, with some of the participants proposing concrete steps to develop Russia-ASEAN Strategic Partnership.
