21 July 201618:46
Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, July 21, 2016
1354-21-07-2016
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meetings on the ASEAN platform
As per tradition, I will begin this briefing with the agenda of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. On July 25-26, Sergey Lavrov will attend the annual high-level ASEAN events in Laos – an ASEAN-Russia ministerial meeting, the 6th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Meeting (EAS FMM) and the 23rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on security.
The ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting on July 25 will focus on the comprehensive implementation of the agreements that were reached at the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit, which was held in Sochi this May to mark 20 years of ASEAN-Russia Dialogue Partnership.
The ministers will coordinate practical political, economic and cultural steps to take ASEAN-Russia relations to the strategic partnership level. They will highlight the further development of practical cooperation in priority areas such as trade, investment, energy, agriculture, science, education and emergency response.
The ministers will also discuss regional and international issues, primarily against the backdrop of ASEAN-Russia efforts to develop an equitable and balanced security and cooperation architecture in Asia Pacific.
They will also consider the possibility of aligning regional integration initiatives and promoting comprehensive economic partnership in Eurasia.
The EAS Foreign Ministers Meeting on July 26 will be held to prepare for the 11th East Asia Summit, to be held in Laos on September 8.
The ministers will exchange opinions on the development of interaction in key EAS cooperation areas: energy, finance, education, healthcare, emergency response and connectivity.
One of the key issues to be addressed by the ministers will be measures to boost EAS efforts to create a new security architecture in Asia Pacific.
Later the same day, Sergey Lavrov will attend the 23rd ASEAN Regional Forum. We regard the ARF as a major venue for practical cooperation on specific aspects of peace and security, confidence-building measures and preventive diplomacy in Asia Pacific.
The ARF participants will discuss efforts to fight new threats and challenges, primarily terrorism and transnational crime, as well as measures to strengthen nuclear non-proliferation, maritime security and emergency response. Russia is also concerned with priority issues such as space security and secure use of ICT.
ARF participants will adopt ministerial statements on the cross-border movement of criminals, on strengthening cooperation between the agencies responsible for law and order on the sea and on fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. They will also approve an action plan for the next reporting period.
The ministers will also exchange opinions on current global and regional issues, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the Middle East and Afghanistan.
(To be continued)000