Ambassador Kesavapany, Director, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies

Dr Victor Sumsky, Director, ASEAN Centre, MGIMO University, Moscow

Dr Vyacheslav Nikonov, Chairman of Russian National Committee, CSCAP Executive Director, Russkiy Mir Foundation

Distinguished Guests and Participants

Ladies and Gentlemen

I wish to thank the co-organizers, the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) and the MGIMO (Moscow) for inviting me and giving me the opportunity to take part in this important interactive conference on “ASEAN-Russia: Foundations and Prospects of a 15-Year-Old Dialogue”. It is an honour for me to speak before such distinguished participants and the audience today here in Singapore, the clean, green and beautiful city state.

I would also like to congratulate the organizers for setting the topic of this meeting, which is very timely and relevant as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Russian Federation celebrate the 15th Anniversary of bilateral relations.

Distinguished Guests and Participants,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

When ASEAN decided to elevate the Russian Federation to its full Dialogue Partner in 1996, the size of the Russian economy was much smaller than its current one and it had just embarked on changes. Today, as we celebrate the 15th Anniversary of ASEAN-Russia dialogue relations, the Russian Federation not only continues to play an active role on the world-stage through the United Nations (UN), but it has also become an important member of the G8, the G20 and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). By the end of this year, 2011, it will become a full-fledged member of the East Asia Summit (EAS). The Russian Federation has already been playing an important role in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus).

Last Thursday (14 April 2011), when the leaders of the world's largest emerging economies had their BRICS Summit in Hainan, the People's Republic of China, many commentators came up with the BRICS profile. Regardless of its vast land area of 17 million square kilometres covering two continents, Asia and Europe, the Russian Federation's GDP in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) is US$15,806. It is the highest among the BRICS members (Brazil: US$11,289; India: US$3,290; China: US$7,517 and South Africa: US$10,505).