Valdai Club

Russia's ties with the West sour and the demand for its resources in Europe plummeted due to political sanctions. The country made its notorious pivot to the East and showed an increasing willingness to cooperate with its Asian counterparts. The devaluation of ruble and the need to find new partners and consumers are encouraging Russia to steer the course.

The third concluding session the Valdai Discussion Club's conference in Jakarta was focused on the role and potential of Russia in Asia, Russia's image in the region and the prospects of cooperation.

In terms of national mentality, history of relations and security concerns, Russia has rather solid ties with Asian countries. Moscow has no territorial disputes or historical barriers with ASEAN countries. Though mostly Western in appearance, Russia gained more Asian traits in comparison with the Russian Empire and the USSR, which were traditionally more West-oriented.

Despite the willingness to intensify cooperation with the Asian region, Russia remains a deep mystery to its inhabitants. The lack of knowledge about each other makes mutual understanding problematic. Perhaps, the reason is in the ambivalence of Russia's simultaneous orientation towards both the East and the West. Switches of priorities in Russia's politics had its impact on relations with Asian countries.

From 1945 to 1966, for instance, Indonesia and Russia had strong ties in many fields. Many Indonesian scholars were studying in the Soviet Union. The relations between two countries were in a decline afterwards, only to be followed by yet another shift in 1998, when security issues became more topical for both states.

The economic sector, on the other hand, has seen little change. Russia is not a strategic partner of Indonesia, the role of strategic or close trade partners belongs to China, South Korea, UK and the Netherlands. One way of propelling economic cooperation with Asian states for Moscow is to join the TPP, which is open for APEC members. The TPP stands as major game changer and can stimulate economic growth.

However, the TPP and other associations cannot offer a perfect balance and flexibility suitable for all countries. In some cases, such unions may dictate their own economic rules. It may be safer to create common markets on the basis of equality. This idea has been discussed at many international forums, including SCO.

As for Russia's prospects in Asia, the country has an enormous potential, suggested that Russia would benefit from establishing a joint economic and security structure. Asian countries have a stable interest in technologies. Many Asian countries could adopt Russia's electrification experience. Russia is capable to provide quality products to the technical sector of Asia. Russian engineers may also offer assistance to the construction business in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia. Finally, the oil and gas sector is always on the cooperation agenda as the demand for energy is constantly on the rise.

Russia has a unique culture, art and music that may be used to promote the country in Asia. The experts regard it as a valuable instrument of soft power for endorsement of Russian interests in Asian countries. Both Russia and Asia should employ soft power more often to promote their images and break negative stereotypes. The role of mass media is crucial in this respect. The participants of the session insist that Russia and Asian states should ramp up exchange of information.

China is indisputably Moscow's priority target for cooperation. The Silk Road Economic Belt initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union should develop together, the analysts insist. Russia's Far East and Siberia are another worthy platform for cooperation. The two countries may use their common security mechanisms to promote regional integration of Russia in the Asia-Pacific region and expand its network to boost collaboration with other Asian states.

Nonetheless, it was once again reiterated that China should not be the only focus of Moscow. Russia should cooperate both with ASEAN as a whole and with each member of the organization individually. So far, ASEAN, as some experts noted at the conference, was the only alternative market holding open doors for Russian business. Using this chance may offset the losses in the West.