Cooperation in Food Production as a Direction of Russia-ASEAN Strategic Partnership

Abstract. The systemic crisis in Russia – West relations caused the emergence of the concept «Pivot to the East» and triggered active reorientation of the Russian foreign policy towards new strategic pathways. Due to the traditional importance of ensuring food security in Southeast Asia and the strong capacity of Russia's agroindustrial complex, food cooperation presents both a guarantor of regional food security and one of the key areas within the ASEAN – Russia Strategic Partnership. This study examines the place and the role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Russia's foreign policy by analyzing the position papers on the cooperation. The research investigates the dynamics of cooperation in food production: Russian main export items, its key partners in the region and the main mechanisms of cooperation. Joint food business initiatives of Russia and ASEAN countries have also been analyzed. The author makes a projection on the prospects for future development of cooperation between Russia and ASEAN in food production and provides recommendations for overcoming the challenges and threats of intensifying cooperation. The study of 71 pages consists of an introduction and three chapters, contains bibliography of 89 titles and includes five tables. Keywords: Pivot to the East, ASEAN – Russia Strategic Partnership, food security, Southeast Asia, export, import, regional security.