AKP Phnom Penh, June 25, 2026 -- Russia is doubling down on its Southeast Asian strategy, with Cambodia emerging as a central pillar of its regional agenda, Russian Ambassador to Cambodia H.E. Anatoly Borovik announced Thursday.

Following the recent Kazan summit, H.E. Borovik confirmed Moscow’s “firm commitment” to expanding cooperation across ASEAN, but singled out Cambodia as a primary focus for rebuilding ties and forging new economic corridors.

The Kazan gathering was historic for bilateral relations, hosting the first face-to-face meeting between Russian President H.E. Vladimir Putin and Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet in eight years. The last top-level encounter occurred in 2018 in Singapore, when H.E. Putin met Samdech Thipadei Manet’s predecessor, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen. The renewed dialogue signals a strategic reset, with both sides eager to move beyond diplomatic dormancy.

Trade and investment took centre stage, with Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet holding direct talks with Mr. Leonid Dolgov, Export Director of Russia’s GAZ Group, to explore automotive manufacturing and assembly projects in Cambodia. The discussions follow GAZ’s high-profile product showcase and test-drive event in Phnom Penh this past May – a clear indicator of Russian industrial ambitions in the Mekong region.

To institutionalise the push, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H.E. Prak Sokhonn and Russian Agriculture Minister H.E. Ms. Oksana Lut reaffirmed their co-chairmanship of the Russia-Cambodia Intergovernmental Commission. The pair confirmed that the 12th session of the commission – focused on trade, science, and technical cooperation – is now scheduled for 2027, laying down a formal roadmap for future collaboration.

On the multilateral stage, Ambassador Borovik highlighted four landmark agreements signed at Kazan to modernise the Russia-ASEAN partnership. Chief among them was the Kazan Declaration: Unity in Diversity – 35 Years Together, which explicitly champions a “multipolar world order” rooted in international law and the UN Charter – language that aligns with Moscow’s global rhetoric. Accompanying action plans on culture and energy, alongside a dedicated Russia-ASEAN Business Forum, are designed to deepen ties between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and ASEAN, potentially reshaping trade flows in the Indo-Pacific.

Article in Khmer by Yea Chenda Khantey
Article in English by K. Rithy Reak