Hanoi, June 19 -- Speaking to the press following the Summit held in Kazan, Russia, on June 17-18, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung said the visit was the first trip to Russia by a key Vietnamese leader following the successful conclusion of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and the introduction of the country's new leadership.

The Summit reaffirmed the strategic importance of ASEAN-Russia relations and adopted key documents, including the Kazan Joint Declaration 2026 and the ASEAN-Russia Action Plan 2026-2030, aimed at promoting more substantive, focused and effective cooperation between the two sides.

Notably, energy was elevated as a new pillar of ASEAN-Russia cooperation and both sides' leaders a...