Kanaev Evgeniy

Digital Support for ASEAN-Led Multilateral Economic Initiatives: Assessing Russia’s Possibilities

ЮГО-ВОСТОЧНАЯ АЗИЯ: АКТУАЛЬНЫЕ ПРОБЛЕМЫ РАЗВИТИЯ, 2024, №2(63), 11-24

 
Annotation: The article aims to specify Russia’s possibilities to contribute to digital support for ASEAN-led economic regionalism initiatives as part of Russia-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) ICT-focused agenda. On summing up major factors that shape Russia-ASEAN relations, the author reveals the normative undercurrents of Russia-ASEAN Strategic Partnership and assesses Russia’s economic and commercial presence in Southeast Asia to finally turn to assessing possibilities for Russian contribution to providing ASEAN-led economic initiatives with digital support. In the author’s view, the latter critically depends on effectively long-term functionality of non-digital assets, mainly, trans-boundary infrastructure objects. Their non-existence is behind Russia’s low chances for contributing to digital support ASEAN-led multilateral economic projects, though niche-focused cooperation, for instance, transferring Russia’s solutions in the field of smart city or government services development to ASEAN states, is possible. Nevertheless, its sustainable and long-term development is possible only in synergy with a simultaneous upgrade of non-digital economic assets by Russia and the Association. In case current trends continue, this scenario is not realistic.

Keywords: Russia, ASEAN, Strategic Partnership, commercial ties, multilateral economic initiatives, digital support