Laotian Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith
(sixth from left) and Laotian Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith (sixth from
right) stand with Southeast Asian foreign ministers (from left), an
unidentified delegate from Malaysia, Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar, Vivian
Balakrishnan of Singapore, Don Pramudwinai of Thailand, Pham Binh Minh of
Vietnam, Thongloun Sisoulith, Saleumxay Kommasith, Perfecto Yasay Jr. of the
Philippines, Brunei's Trade Minister Jock Seng Pehin Lim, Sakhonn Prak of
Cambodia, Retno Marsudi of Indonesia and ASEAN secretary-general Le Luong Minh,
as they pose for a group photo during the opening ceremony of the 49th
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers Meeting in
Vientiane, Laos, on July 24. (Associated Press/Sakchai Lalit)
Russia is
committed to cooperating with ASEAN in establishing a new security architecture
that will cover the Asia-Pacific region, a diplomat has said.
Russian
Ambassador to Indonesia Mikhail Galuzin said foreign ministers of Russia and
ASEAN had discussed further cooperation in the creation of a comprehensive
military alliance during the East Asian Summit (EAS) meeting, which was part of
the ASEAN Ministers Meeting (AMM) in Vientiane, Laos over the weekend.
Galuzin
cited the lack of a unified military alliance in the Asia-Pacific region as the
reason Russia was interested in helping the grouping create an integrated
defense framework.
"There
is no collective, combined, comprehensive security architecture where all the
Asia Pacific countries are involved, and which would ensure equal security for
all Asia Pacific," Galuzin said in a press briefing in Jakarta on
Wednesday.
He said
the cooperation would be based on the principles that would respect the
interest of all states involved and create a conducive atmosphere for complex
issues throughout the region.
There
have been five rounds of consultations among experts of EAS member states,
Galuzin said, with the latest one held in Beijing, China, in June. Thailand
would most likely host the next meeting after having expressed intention during
the meeting in Laos, he added.
Russian
and ASEAN foreign ministers also discussed further cooperation in
counterterrorism, Galuzin said, adding that Russia would continue the training
program to improve the capacity building of ASEAN member states’ law
enforcement officers.
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