To further promote people-to-people contacts, facilitate studies and provide information on ASEAN and Russia, as well as promoting trade, tourism, and awareness of ASEAN and the Russian Federation promote cooperation between ASEAN and Russia, the Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the ASEAN Centre in Moscow was signed in July 2009. In this connection, the ASEAN Centre at the Moscow State University of International Relations (MGIMO) was officially launched in Moscow on 15 June 2010.