Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was pressing the flesh and having his picture taken with the leaders of Southeast Asia at the annual ASEAN summit as the Kremlin seeks to bolster friendly relations with the leading Asian countries as the meeting wrapped up on July 26.

China was there, as the two members of a “no-limits" partnership are working hard to galvanise the countries of the Global South into a non-aligned alliance that can challenge the West, both politically and economically.

Lavrov held a debriefing meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, who met with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba the previous days to talk about a possible ceasefire in the Ukraine war.

Russia and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) came together to “enhance security cooperation, particularly in cybersecurity,” according to a joint statement marking the 20th anniversary of Russia’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) at a meeting hosted by Laos.

The statement highlighted the “strategic partnership” between Russia and ASEAN members as a contributor to “peace and stability” in the Asia-Pacific region. The partnership, described as "mutually beneficial," has developed over the past 30 years and includes comprehensive dialogue and cooperation, which Russia’s accession to the TAC has strengthened.

The meeting comes at a time when tensions are rising in the region, especially in the South China Sea, where the Philippines has turned to the US for support in its territorial dispute with China. The US has recently said it will expand military bases in the Philippines as well as provide naval protection to Filipino shipping.

Tensions between Beijing and Ho Chi Min have also risen as Vietnam seeks to balance China’s power in the region by inviting in US investors, and recently hosting a state visit by Putin last month. Putin also made his first visit to North Korea in more than a decade the same week to bolster ties, another country where Beijing has traditionally dominated international relations.

Many of the countries in the region are moving closer to Russia, which they see as a counterweight to Beijing’s growing clout and aggressive behaviour in SE Asia.

Russia’s Lavrov, attending the meetings from July 25 to 27, noted the "truly comprehensive character" of Russia-ASEAN relations. He stressed the importance of deepening coordination in politics, security and countering modern challenges and threats. Lavrov pointed to "positive dynamics" in practical areas, including the economy, energy, agriculture and education.

"An ASEAN-centred architecture based on inclusiveness and equality, while taking into account the interests of all, should remain the foundation of security and sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region," Lavrov stated. He also highlighted the importance of Russia obtaining the status of ASEAN's digital partner.

Russia has been busy deepening its ties with the non-aligned international organisations that mostly exclude, or at least limit, the participation of Western counties. Notably Russia is the only European country that is a member of ASEAN, qualifying due to its Pacific coast.

ASEAN consists of Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar. East Timor is currently going through the process of joining ASEAN.

Partnered with China, which is following a similar policy, Russia has also been actively promoting similar organisations such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), the G20 and especially the expanded BRICS+ group. Russia will host this year’s BRICS summit in Kazan from October 22 to 24, where the organisation is expected to take in several new members. This policy is part of Putin’s big bet on the Global South century, where Russia has cut ties with the West and is seeking to replace them with closer cooperation with the countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and South America.

Laos, which currently holds the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN, is hosting these annual ministerial and post-ministerial meetings, where the ASEAN-Russia cooperation plan for 2026-2030 is being discussed. The plan aims to strengthen collaboration across political, economic, social and technical fields.

Lavrov also held talks with Wang and Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasit, stressing that ASEAN plays a crucial role in forming a more just, multipolar world order.

"We proceed from the premise that Russia and China’s large-scale potentials, as well as Moscow and Beijing’s participation in such novel multilateral groups as BRICS and the SCO, are capable of positively influencing both our interaction with the association as well as cooperation processes with its separate member states in the interests of settling global and regional issues in their entirety and interrelatedness on the firm foundation of the UN Charter," Lavrov said of his meeting.

Lavrov stressed the importance of ASEAN in countering the “unipolar” world, which the Kremlin complains is a US hegemony. "ASEAN has been and remains the 'core' of joint regional efforts aimed at ensuring the stable and safe non-aligned development of the Asia-Pacific region," he added.

Wang is expected to debrief Lavrov on his meeting a day earlier with Ukraine’s Kuleba, who was in China to talk about a potential ceasefire in the Ukraine war ahead of a second peace summit on July 15 proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to which both Russia and China are invited. Neither country was invited to the Swiss peace summit held on June 16-17 and fellow BRICS member India sent only a very junior delegation. As bne IntelliNews reported, Ukraine is inching towards a ceasefire as pressure on Kyiv grows due to the country’s lack of men, money and arms.

As part of the shifting focus of geopolitics, the developing world is seeking to improve its security by deepening the cooperation between the non-western organisations. The ASEAN summit follows on from the recent SCO summit at the start of July, which Chinese President Xi Jinping used to increase ties with the countries of Central Asia. Putin was also in attendance at that meeting personally, where he held meetings with key allies like Xi as well as the new elected Mongolian president, which will host a new pipeline from Russia to China. Iran was also admitted into the SCO at the meeting.

"ASEAN has been and remains the 'core' of joint regional efforts aimed at ensuring the stable and safe non-aligned development of the Asia-Pacific region," Lavrov said.

The ASEAN communiqué underlined the importance of friendship and cooperation for achieving sustainable peace, security, stability and prosperity in the region. It also outlined intentions to strengthen cooperation between ASEAN and regional organisations such as the EEU and SCO.

Lavrov's visit to Laos includes meetings with various ASEAN member state representatives, including those from East Timor, Cambodia and Indonesia, which has just started importing Russia oil again for the first time in a decade.

The Russian foreign ministry posted a photo of Lavrov shaking hands with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on the sidelines of the events.