ID :
13381
Tue, 07/22/2008 - 13:47
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https://oananews.org//node/13381
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Russia FM to Singapore to attend ASEAN forum, nuke sextet talks
BEIJING, July 22 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is winding up his visit to Beijing and is going to Singapore on Tuesday where on July 23-24 he will take part in events within the framework of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN). It will be the first visit of Lavrov to Singapore, in 2003 the former Foreign Minister, Igor Ivanov, paid an official visit to the country.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said that "during the meeting in the Russia-ASEAN format the ministers will summarise the results of the things done over the past year and outline further steps for the strengthening of cooperation." They plan to approve the "road map" plan of action for the coming years.
"Today we place the main emphasis on the development of relations with the Associations in such sphe es as counteracting international terrorism and trans-national crime, as well as energy, science and technology, prevention and liquidation of theaftermath of natural calamities, tourism and cultural exchanges," stressed Nesterenko.
He also said that Russia intends to annually transfer money to the Russia-ASEAN Dialogue Partnership Financial Fund (DPFF). This year the contribution is 500,000 US dollars, and with taking into account lastyear's contribution the total volume of the Fund is one million dollars, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman specified.
"It is planned to channel these funds for the implementation ofselected in a competition joint projects in spheres of mutual interest," the diplomat noted. "We hope that the implementation of the first of them - related to the creation of the ASEAN centre at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), electronic commerce, development of tourism, cooperation in the sphere of renewable energy sources, learning of the Russian language in ASEAN countries - will soon be started," he said.
"Cooperation with ASEAN countries is among Russia's foreign policypriorities," in the words of Nesterenko.
A ministerial meeting of the six countries participants in the North Korean nuclear problem settlement talks will be held on the sidelines of the ASEAN forum. It will be the first meeting of the foreign ministers of the nuclear talks' "sextet," as until now the North Korean nuclear problem has been discussed at a lower level during several rounds in Beijing.
At the suggestion of China that hosts the six-nation talks, theforeign ministers' meeting will be held on July 23 within the framework of the ASEAN forum, the South Korean government source noted earlier on condition of anonymity. South Korea and the other countries have agreed to hold the meeting.
The Yonhap news agency reported that the meeting would mark the first gathering of the top diplomats from the two Koreas, the United States, China, Russia, and Japan aimed at discussing the nuclear issue, although their lower-level nuclear envoys have held several round of negotiations in Beijing. "The six-way foreign ministerial meeting will be held on July 23 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum," the official said, asking not to be named, the agency said.
The Russian foreign minister will also hold bilateral meetings in Singapore with partners with key countries of the Asia-Pacific region,Lavrov also plans talks with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The 15th session of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on security will be held in Singapore. "The meeting agenda envisages the exchange of views on important problems of international and regional policy, first of all on such issues and the settlement of the Korean Peninsula's nuclear problem, the Iranian nuclear dossier, the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Middle East settlement, formation of the mechanism of peace and security in Northeast Asia and in other Asia-Pacific sub-regions," Nesterenko continued.
"The sides will give particular attention to ways of strengtheningregional cooperation in countering new challenges and threats.
Proceeding from the importance of this sphere, in 2010 Russia intends to nominate its candidature for the co-chair of the ARF Intersession Meeting on combating terrorism and trans-national crime," the diplomat pointed out.
"In the interests of strengthening of the general antiterrorist component of the ARF Russia will back proposals on the launch of theWorking Plan on combating terrorism and trans-national crime (US) on the creation of mechanisms of meetings of ARF experts on issues of ensuring cyber security and fighting against cyber terrorism (South Korea) and the ARF Intersession Meeting on safety at sea (Indonesia), as well as on the adoption of the ARF Statement on Promoting Collaboration on the Prevention of Diversion of Precursors into Illicit Drug Manufacture (Australia)," the diplomat stressed.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said that "during the meeting in the Russia-ASEAN format the ministers will summarise the results of the things done over the past year and outline further steps for the strengthening of cooperation." They plan to approve the "road map" plan of action for the coming years.
"Today we place the main emphasis on the development of relations with the Associations in such sphe es as counteracting international terrorism and trans-national crime, as well as energy, science and technology, prevention and liquidation of theaftermath of natural calamities, tourism and cultural exchanges," stressed Nesterenko.
He also said that Russia intends to annually transfer money to the Russia-ASEAN Dialogue Partnership Financial Fund (DPFF). This year the contribution is 500,000 US dollars, and with taking into account lastyear's contribution the total volume of the Fund is one million dollars, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman specified.
"It is planned to channel these funds for the implementation ofselected in a competition joint projects in spheres of mutual interest," the diplomat noted. "We hope that the implementation of the first of them - related to the creation of the ASEAN centre at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), electronic commerce, development of tourism, cooperation in the sphere of renewable energy sources, learning of the Russian language in ASEAN countries - will soon be started," he said.
"Cooperation with ASEAN countries is among Russia's foreign policypriorities," in the words of Nesterenko.
A ministerial meeting of the six countries participants in the North Korean nuclear problem settlement talks will be held on the sidelines of the ASEAN forum. It will be the first meeting of the foreign ministers of the nuclear talks' "sextet," as until now the North Korean nuclear problem has been discussed at a lower level during several rounds in Beijing.
At the suggestion of China that hosts the six-nation talks, theforeign ministers' meeting will be held on July 23 within the framework of the ASEAN forum, the South Korean government source noted earlier on condition of anonymity. South Korea and the other countries have agreed to hold the meeting.
The Yonhap news agency reported that the meeting would mark the first gathering of the top diplomats from the two Koreas, the United States, China, Russia, and Japan aimed at discussing the nuclear issue, although their lower-level nuclear envoys have held several round of negotiations in Beijing. "The six-way foreign ministerial meeting will be held on July 23 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum," the official said, asking not to be named, the agency said.
The Russian foreign minister will also hold bilateral meetings in Singapore with partners with key countries of the Asia-Pacific region,Lavrov also plans talks with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The 15th session of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on security will be held in Singapore. "The meeting agenda envisages the exchange of views on important problems of international and regional policy, first of all on such issues and the settlement of the Korean Peninsula's nuclear problem, the Iranian nuclear dossier, the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Middle East settlement, formation of the mechanism of peace and security in Northeast Asia and in other Asia-Pacific sub-regions," Nesterenko continued.
"The sides will give particular attention to ways of strengtheningregional cooperation in countering new challenges and threats.
Proceeding from the importance of this sphere, in 2010 Russia intends to nominate its candidature for the co-chair of the ARF Intersession Meeting on combating terrorism and trans-national crime," the diplomat pointed out.
"In the interests of strengthening of the general antiterrorist component of the ARF Russia will back proposals on the launch of theWorking Plan on combating terrorism and trans-national crime (US) on the creation of mechanisms of meetings of ARF experts on issues of ensuring cyber security and fighting against cyber terrorism (South Korea) and the ARF Intersession Meeting on safety at sea (Indonesia), as well as on the adoption of the ARF Statement on Promoting Collaboration on the Prevention of Diversion of Precursors into Illicit Drug Manufacture (Australia)," the diplomat stressed.
