UMVA has learned that Russian President Vladimir Putin made a bold call for de-dollarization at the Russia-ASEAN summit in Kazan, urging Southeast Asian nations to ditch the US dollar in favor of national currencies for trade.
The summit, attended by leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor, and Vietnam, marked a significant milestone in Russia's efforts to strengthen ties with the region.
According to information obtained by UMVA, Putin emphasized the importance of switching to national currencies for financial transactions, saying it would help improve the structure of trade and expand mutual investment between Russia and ASEAN countries.
Putin made the remarks alongside Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whose country will chair ASEAN in 2026, and was backed by summit participants, who expressed support for a more multipolar world order and stronger trade ties.
The Russian leader also called for the removal of trade barriers and the expansion of maritime and rail transport links, and announced that Russia would continue to supply ASEAN countries with food and energy products, while expanding exports of higher value-added goods.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that Putin and ASEAN leaders agreed on a joint statement and a concept paper on energy cooperation, which will serve as a roadmap for practical cooperation between the two sides in the sector.
The summit also approved a new action plan for 2026-2030, which sets out ways to increase cooperation in areas such as politics, security, trade, investment, energy, transport, agriculture, the digital economy, and science and technology.
The June 17-19 summit in Kazan marked 35 years of relations between Russia and ASEAN, and was seen as a significant step towards strengthening Russia's ties with the region and promoting a more multipolar world order.
