We, the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Russian Federation, gathered in Kazan, the Russian Federation, on 18 June 2026 (“Kazan Summit”)to commemorate the35th Anniversary of ASEAN-Russian Federation Relations;
RECALLING the important frameworks and arrangements that lay the groundwork and chart the course for cooperation in the cultural sphere as reflected, inter alia, in the Agreement on Cultural Cooperation between the Governments of the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Government of the Russian Federation (2010), the Comprehensive Programme of Action to Promote Cooperation between ASEAN and the Russian Federation 2005–2015, the Comprehensive Plan of Action to Promote Cooperation between ASEAN and the Russian Federation 2016–2020, andthe Comprehensive Plan of Action to Implement ASEAN and the Russian Federation Strategic Partnership (2021–2025);
COMMENDING the implementation of the ASEAN-Russia Year of Culture in 2016 and related cultural activities aimed at fostering an atmosphere of friendship and mutualtrustand understanding throughcross-cultural communication between ASEAN and the Russian Federation, as well as enhancingcultural exchange between ASEAN Member States and the Russian Federation;
UNDERSTANDING cultureto be a concept that encompasses ways of life, value systems, languages,traditions and beliefs as reflected in cinematography, museum and library works, performing arts and creative education, among others;
COGNISANT of the potential of culture and the arts, includingtangible and intangible cultural heritage, cultural and creative industries, and cultural tourism as an engine ofeconomic growth, social cohesion and societal transformation, and recognising their role as a vehicle for enhancing the well-being and fostering mutual understanding and cooperation among peoples;
ACKNOWLEDGING that cultural ties are rooted in shared histories and thatmeaningful interaction among peoples is best fostered through mutual respect and a recognition of each other’s cultures as an integral part of the rich tapestry of world heritage;
EMPHASISING the importance of fostering greater awareness and appreciationof the diverse cultures and heritages of ASEAN Member States and Russia, while recognising and respecting cultural diversity and promoting cultural discourse among our peoples;
RECOGNISING the need to strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s natural heritage, and tangible and intangible cultural heritage, as well aspromote culture’s contribution to sustainable development;
AFFIRMING the importance of intercultural dialogue to enrich the cultures of our countries;
RECOGNISING the ASEAN Community Vision 2045: “Resilient, Innovative, Dynamic, and People-Centred ASEAN” which envisions, among others,a Community that is proud of its identity and assumes ownership of the preservation, conservation and value creation of its cultural heritage, arts and traditions while also promoting cultural industries and facilitating the realisation of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Strategic Plan, and Noting that the Russian Federation’s Basic Principles of State Cultural Policy pursues similar goals and objectives;
DO HEREBY:
A. Promotion of Intercultural Dialogue and Cultural Diversity
1. Facilitate the implementation of the Agreement on Cultural Cooperation between the Governments of the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Government of the Russian Federation (2010)through encouraginggreater intercultural dialogue based on the principles of mutual understanding and respect;
2. Continue to strengthen mutual cultural bonds, including by exploring the possibility of hosting future iterations of ASEAN-Russia Years of Culture;
3. Consolidate joint efforts to preserve and promote linguistic and cultural diversity, including in digital environments by leveraging digital media platforms to strengthen cultural expression, foster intercultural dialogue, and enhance mutual understanding, while jointly advocating robust people-to-people exchanges and cooperation;
4. Promote culture and the arts as spaces of openness, mutual respect, and creative freedom, and supporting conditions that enable access to world cultural heritage and artistic expression in all languages, while fostering dialogue and cooperation and respectingthe culture of each country;
5. Promote initiatives to organise cultural fora that bring together artists, including traditional and contemporary ones, such as musicians, poets, writers, and other cultural professionals, alongside relevant authorities, with the aim of fostering intercultural dialogue and artistic collaboration including through engagement of various stakeholders;
6. Promote cultural discourse, awareness and literacy in enhancing inter-cultural understanding and deeper appreciation of each other’s cultural heritage;
7. Encourage the mutual enrichment of cultures while enhancing cooperation andinteraction in cultural tourism;
8. Facilitate contacts in the field of folk culture and folk-crafts through arranged exhibitions, festivals, traditional festivities and folk group performances towards better understanding of the richness and diversity of cultures and traditions of ASEAN Member States and the Russian Federation;
9. Support institutions that offer research, education, and practical training in culture and arts;
10. Promote a greater sense of cultural belonging through education, involvement of youth, cultural volunteerism and outreach programmes and activities;
11. Promote and support performances of the ASEAN-Russia Youth Symphony Orchestra.
B. Protection, Preservation, and Promotion of Cultural Heritage
12. Strengthen cooperation between institutions of national authorities and local governments, and representatives of the public and relevant private entities involved in preserving historical and cultural heritage;
13. Expand support for greater collaboration to protect, preserve and promote our cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, through exchange of experience, knowledge, expertise, skills and technologies among relevant administrations, public and private sector institutions concerned with culture and the arts, with a view to fostering inclusive and mutually beneficial cooperation in this important field;
14. Encourage interdisciplinary cooperation among cultural experts, researchers, and scientists, as well as their commitment to progress in their research;
15. Promote cultural education programmes and youth-led initiatives on heritage preservation and innovation;
16. Organise joint activities for preserving and restoring memorial sites, heritage landmarks, museum displays, and literary heritage, maintaining contacts and sharing of best practices in digitising of cultural heritage andliterary masterpieces and utilising digital technology to raise public awareness of these efforts;
17. Enhance mutual cooperation in the protection of cultural objects and property in order to preserve the cultural heritage of our peoples;
C. Promotion of Cultural and Creative Industries
18. Encourage intercultural dialogue that will ensure synergy of cultural projects in ASEAN Member States and the Russian Federation, introduce the latest trends to the professional community, and facilitate exchange of ideas, experiences and best practices;
19. Promote cooperation in architecture and built heritage, design, fashion, fine and performing arts, music, film and animation, drama and documentary productions, video games, broadcasting, advertising and the exchange among media and creative industry professionals that offers opportunities for cultural exchange, understanding, and mutual enrichment;
20. Enhance cooperation in human resource development, including through training programmes and supporting creative start-up ecosystems and cultural enterprises, focusing on freelancers and micro, small and medium-sized cultural enterprises;
21. Promote the potential of culture, arts and traditions as driversfor creativity, innovation and sustainable livelihood creation;
22. Promote cultural and creative industries including through exchanges that supportregionaldigital content markets, explore action to enhance the use of digital technologies for content development and promotion and to develop culturalinfrastructure in line with the ASEAN Creative Economy Sustainability Framework, and encourage the establishment of platforms to mutually promote cultural and creativeindustry products;
23. Encourage knowledge exchange and visibility of activities undertaken by entities within the creative economy including its digital aspects in ASEAN Member States and the Russian Federation;
24. Reaffirm the shared commitment to continue promoting further cooperation and encourage joint initiatives in the field of culture and the arts in conformity with the Comprehensive Plan of Action to Implement ASEAN – Russian Federation Strategic Partnership (2026–2030);
ADOPTED in Kazan, the Russian Federation, on the Eighteenth of June in the Year Two Thousand and Twenty-Six (“Kazan Summit”) to commemoratethe 35th Anniversary of ASEAN – Russian Federation Relations.