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.
The Russia-Laos Intergovernmental Commission has been meeting in Moscow, with important agreements on expanding trade, and nuclear power deals being signed. Bilateral trade, while small, nearly doubled last year.
Our deep-dive analysis into the results of SPIEF 2026 – the signed agreements, investment deals, Russian corporate finance, multilateralism and agreed projects, including China, India, ASEAN, Middle East, African and LatAm investment plans.
Russia and Indonesia have agreed a far reaching maritime strategy that will see joint investment into Indonesian shipyards, ports and fishing capacity. Both sides have recently signed a Free Trade Agreement with a focus on maritime development being a key initial part of this strategic alliance. Bilateral trade can be expected to boom.
India has agreed to sell the Russian Joint Venture, India manufactured Brahmos missiles to Vietnam in a US$600 million plus agreement, with similar deals also lined up with Indonesia.
The Russian and Philippines foreign ministers have discussed ASEAN, bilateral trade, energy, and related issues as both countries’ markets begin to open up to each other.
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Russia has ratified the free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Indonesia, paving the way for a substantial increase of the bilateral US$4.8 billion in trade but also linking fellow Muslim markets in Central Asia to Southeast Asia.
Russia and Vietnam have signed a maritime agreement to 2030 that includes cooperation in naval activity, shipbuilding, ship repairs, and maritime personnel training, as well as the joint use of the Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor. It will compliment Russia’s expanding developments into Asian shipbuilding and repair investments throughout the region.
The Russian and Vietnamese Defence Ministers have been meeting in Moscow to discuss on-going cooperation. Russia is Vietnam’s largest supplier of military equipment and weapons and seeks to keep a balance in Southeast Asia.
Another four Russian meat producing businesses have received permission to export their products to Singapore, where the average per meat consumption is four times more than the South Asian average.
Russian and Indonesian officials have met in Kazan to discuss energy shortages in the Global South, in addition to bilateral trade developments. Indonesia is ASEAN’s largest economy, a full member of BRICS and has a Free Trade Agreement with Russia via the Eurasian Economic Union.
Russian and Malaysian officials have met at the Islamic World Forum being held in Kazan. Russia’s agricultural exports are up 37% in January-April 2026 as the two sides discuss additional trade development.
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