ASEAN hopes to step up cooperation with Russia in anti-terror fight - Malaysian ambassador

MOSCOW, May 18. /TASS/. Relations of Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have been most successful in the areas of political-security cooperation, Malaysia's Ambassador to Russia Hayati Binti Ismail told TASS ahead of the Russia-ASEAN summit in Sochi. "Given the vast potential in ASEAN-Russia relations, Malaysia believes that the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit will provide further impetus to the partnership," the ambassador said. The promising areas include political-security cooperation in ASEAN-led mechanisms such as the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN Regional Forum and the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus, she said. The ambassador said the Association seeks cooperation with Russia in non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. "ASEAN hopes to continue to engage Russia, one of the five Nuclear Weapons States on securing support and recognition of the SEANFWZ Treaty by signing the Protocol to the treaty." The Association expects "to further enhance ASEAN’s cooperation with Russia in combating terrorism." "Currently, ASEAN and Russia has been working to implement the ASEAN-Russian Federation Joint Declaration on Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism, which was signed at the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference+1 Session with Russia in 2004." "ASEAN and Russia adopted the ASEAN-Russia Work Plan on Countering Terrorism and Transnational Crime and has held regular dialogue at senior officials and expert levels," she said. Russia-ASEAN summit The Russia-ASEAN summit will be held in Sochi on May 19-20 and will become the biggest international event in Russia in 2016. The summit will be held under the slogan "Towards Strategic Partnership for the Sake of the Common Good." The summit is expected to adopt a declaration that will lay the basis for an action plan of Russia-ASEAN cooperation in the political, economic and cultural spheres, as well as in the sphere of security. Russia has been a dialog partner of ASEAN since July 1996. Similar partnership summits are normally held on the territory of member-states and the choice of Sochi as venue for the Russia-ASEAN summit on the partnership’s 20th anniversary is symbolic. Read more