Russia-ASEAN trade in 2025 showed significant growth, with trade up over 30% by August, focusing on energy, agriculture, digital tech and nuclear power, while the ASEAN countries – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – sought diversified partners and access to Russian goods like components and resources, utilizing non-dollar payments amidst sanctions, with new cooperation plans for 2026-2035 being finalized. Discover trade agreements, investment flows, and business strategies for entering Southeast Asia’s dynamic markets from Russia, and vice-versa.
Vietnamese nationals may enter Russia visa-free from October 15 under a new decree. About 40,000 Vietnamese visited Russia in 2025, with most going to Moscow and St.Petersburg. That number can be expected to increase during 2026 and 2027.
Sberbank has completed preparations for direct financial settlements with Myanmar, which will support major state contracts and commodity flows. Financial settlements for commodity exports and imports of agricultural products, fertilizers and mechanical engineering will also use the system. The development negates the use of SWIFT and the US dollar as payment tools, while a key element of the scheme is Sberbank’s Indian branch, which provides access to payments in Indian rupees and connects Myanmar companies with Russia, India and the Commonwealth of Independent States markets.
Kuibyshev Railways and the Deng Xiaoping Terminal in Russia’s Tatarstan region has sent its first container train of wheat by rail to Vietnam. The train, consisting of 76 containers with 2,000 tonnes of wheat, departed from the hub’s One Belt One Road terminal, and will finish its journey in Vladivostok. From there, the containers will be sent to Vietnam by sea.
Belarus is shipping exports to Indonesia via Vladivostok, after the two countries were united via a Free Trade Agreement through the Eurasian Economic Union. Bilateral trade volumes are relatively small at US$220 million in 2025 but this is expected to double in the next two years.
The Joint Russia-Myanmar Commission For Trade & Economic Cooperation was held in Moscow this week, with Russia and Myanmar expanding their bilateral trade and economic ties through long-term commodity agreements, joint infrastructure projects, and alternative settlement mechanisms. Bilateral trade turnover has been scaling up, with total trade values close to US$2 billion.
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The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov has held 50 meetings while attending the United Nations in New York. We examine each of these, including important discussions with the United States, and Germany and look at the significance of Russia’s expanding international diplomacy and what this means in terms of foreign policy developments and potential outcomes.
The annual TNF Energy forum has concluded in Tyumen, featuring significant energy participation involving China, ASEAN, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The event laid out Russia’s energy dynamics, exports and infrastructure build with oil and gas companies, equipment manufacturers, oilfield-service providers, technology developers, universities, government institutions and foreign energy partners. We assess the likely impact and global energy flows. This article is essential reading for anyone interested in Russia’s global energy development.
The Eurasian Economic Union and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation have agreed a Joint Action Plan to cover the period 2027-2030. This covers important trade development areas including digitalization, information and communication technologies, customs regulation, agro-industry, food security, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, consumer protection, green-economy issues and information exchange. We deep dive the contents to explain exactly what this means and the impact on EAEU and SCO members.
Hong Kong has just hosted a Russian business mission, with both local and Russian companies interacting to explore potential for local market and Greater Bay Area penetration for Russian products. Hong Kong is also well positioned to assist Russia exporters access markets in ASEAN. Current Russia-Hong Kong trade hit US$2 billion in H1 2026, while the SAR also providing non-cash financial services to Russian companies trading with China – Hong Kong has handled over 100 tonnes of Russian gold bullion destined for China this year.
The (BRICS) New Development Bank has been given a new strategic focus with its New Investment Platform giving it a far more significant role in trade development and investment. This has flown somewhat under the radar and been little commented on – however the implications are substantial. It will significantly improve BRICS trade and investment as well as change global trade flows. We explain the NDB’s New Investment Platform, what it includes, how it works and the impact on project financing and future trade.
The Russian President, Vladimir Putin has met with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, with both sides having sizeable delegations. The main points raised were in bilateral agriculture, finance, security, and energy developments and cooperation. We detail these issues as bilateral trade continues to grow by 13% per annum.
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