ASEAN in the implementation of the Russian course "Turn to the East": the institutional role and the asymmetry of Russian and Chinese interpretations

The study is dedicated to analyzing the institutional role of ASEAN in the implementation of Russia's "Turn to the East" policy in the context of the accelerated transformation of the international order after 2022. The object of the study is the relationship between Russia and ASEAN, while the subject is the mechanisms through which the Association forms a new institutional dimension of Russian policy in the Asia-Pacific region. The research aims to analyze the political-security and economic interaction between Russia and ASEAN, as well as to conduct a comparative study of the Russian and Chinese approaches to assessing the institutional function of the Association. The goal of the research is to identify the features of Russia's participation in ASEAN-centric formats and to determine how ASEAN performs its role as a mediator in political-diplomatic and economic dimensions. The methodological framework of the study relies on institutional and comparative political approaches. The empirical basis consists of official documents from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Concept of Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation (2023), the Comprehensive Action Plan Russia–ASEAN (2021–2025), as well as analytical materials from Russian and Chinese research centers. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the conceptualization of ASEAN as an institutional mediator of the Russian eastern strategy, as well as in identifying the asymmetry of institutional expectations between Russia and China regarding the role of the Association. This allows for a new interpretation of the significance of ASEAN in the process of forming the emerging multipolar architecture of international relations and in the context of adapting the foreign policy strategies of states to the changing regional environment. The results of the study show that after 2022, ASEAN has become one of the key elements of Russia's eastern policy, providing Moscow with institutional mechanisms for strategic balancing, foreign policy diversification, and participation in regional multilateral processes. In this context, the Association acts not only as a platform for dialogue but also as a significant mediating institution that helps maintain Russia's presence in the Asian regional order and expand its opportunities for interaction with Southeast Asian countries.