East Asia Summit opens in Laos, prime minister represents Russia

VIENTIANE, September 8. /TASS/. The 11th East Asia Summit (EAS) has opened in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev represents Russia on instructions from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Delegations from 18 states take part -10 countries members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and their dialogue partners: Russia, Australia, India, China, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan. UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon has also arrived in Vientiane. The summit is expected to focus on cooperation on finance, energy, ecology, emergency response, healthcare and regional ties. Discussion of topical international and regional issues is also possible. The heads of the delegations have posed for a group photograph before sitting down for talks. Medvedev’s working day will start with a meeting with Laotian President Bounnyang Vorachit. Read more