Russia to expand economic ties with ASEAN countries - Russian ForMin.

BALI, Indonesia, July 22 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov said on Friday Russia should expand its economic ties with
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN.
"The potential of the Russian-ASEAN dialogue partnership makes it
possible to set really daring tasks," he told a Russia-ASEAN ministerial
meeting. "The ASEAN member states are committed to create a common
economic community by 2015. Russia is vigorously advancing along the path
of modernization and for these ends it seeks to be involved in the
integration processes in the Asia Pacific region."
"There is an open possibility of mutual coordination of practical work
aimed at the implementation of such tasks," he noted. "It will encourage
expansion of economic ties between our countries, which so far are
insufficient."
"We hope our ASEAN partners will take extra effort to finalise a
roadmap for trade, economic and investment cooperation by the meeting of
economics ministers due to be held in Manado, Indonesia's Sulawesi
province, this August. It is vital not merely to adopt this roadmap but to
ensure its implementation," the Russian foreign minister concluded.
Despite the outstanding problems, the current trade dynamics between
Russia and ASEAN countries shows steady growth. Since the first
Russia-ASEAN summit in 2005, trade turnover between Russia and ASEAN
countries grew three-fold, from 4.2 billion U.S. dollars to 12.5 billon
U.S. dollars in 2010. And it is on the background of a downfall in global
trade that followed a financial crisis.
The proposal to work out a roadman for the trade and economic
cooperation between Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
was positively assessed by foreign minister of the Ten at their meeting in
Brunei in July 2010.
The corresponding proposal was supported at the first-ever
Russia-ASEAN consultations of economics ministers in Vietnam's Danang on
August 24, 2010. It was included into a draft joint statement on the
results of the second Russia-ASEAN summit.
The roadmap outlines spheres of mutual economic interests of Russia
and ASEAN member states with due account of basic areas of cooperation set
forth in the general plan for strengthening ties within the ASEAN.
Cooperation in these spheres will be mutually advantageous, it will
encourage economic growth of Russia's Siberian and Far Eastern regions and
will close a gap in the economic development of ASEAN member states, a
task especially important for the sake of the creation of a common
economic space in ASEAN countries.
Bilateral documents attach great significance to Russia's involvement
into integration processes in the ASEAN. Russia is involved in
Asia-Pacific integration in many formats. Thus, it takes an active part in
the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, and will chair it in
2012. In September 2012, it will host the APEC forum in its Far Eastern
city of Vladivostok. In 2010, Russia (along with the United States)
jointed the East Asian Summit, which embraces 16 countries of the
Asia-Pacific region.
The Asia-Pacific region has a vast resources, financial, investment
and research potential. In the past 20 years, countries of the region have
demonstrated accelerated economic growth. These countries, to a larger
extent, helped the global economy overcome the worst phase of recession,
since many of Asia Pacific countries have managed to retain high dynamics
of economic growth.