HANOI – Developing ties with Asean is among the priorities of Russia’s foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific region, affirmed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov yesterday during his ongoing visit to Indonesia.
The potential of economic cooperation is far from fully realised, he added, the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported.
Speaking to the Indonesian newspaper Rakyat Merdeka, Lavrov said that Russia consistently supports the strengthening of Asean’s central role in the region.
He said Russia will support Asean at international forums and actively participate in Asean-centric activites, such as the East Asia Summit, Asean Regional Security Forum and Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus with the Dialogue Partners.
The Russian minister said that bolstering cooperation between Asean and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) will create momentum for Russia-Asean trade relations, which have been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and related restrictions.
However, a growth trend has reappeared this year, he added, voicing a belief that the promotion of cooperation with the EAEU will allow Russia and Asean to make ties more dynamic.
Two Asean members – Vietnam and Singapore – have already signed free-trade agreements with the EAEU, while Indonesia has started working on one.
The top Russian diplomat expressed his hope that a special ministerial conference between Russia and Asean held in Indonesia will make an important contribution to the expansion of the Russia-Asean dialogue. – Bernama, July 7, 2021
