HANOI, July 27 (RIA Novosti) - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has expressed a keen interest in closer and broader cooperation with Russia. ASEAN foreign ministers, who gathered yesterday in the Laotian capital of Vientiane for their 38th conference, said in a joint communique that they are looking forward to, and intensively preparing for, the first Russian-ASEAN summit, set for December 2005.
They highlighted the progress achieved to date in negotiations over an economic cooperation agreement between Russia and the ASEAN member states.
On day one of the Vientiane conference, the delegates discussed a wide range of issues of regional and global importance, focusing on measures to transform ASEAN into a powerful and developed association by the year 2020. They welcomed Burma's decision to skip the rotating ASEAN presidency, which it was supposed to take over in August 2006, in favor of the Philippines. They also agreed to hold the first East Asian summit in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur on December 14. This forum will bring together officials from the ten ASEAN nations [Brunei, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma (also known as Myanmar), Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines] as well as from China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India and New Zealand. The first Russian-ASEAN summit is take place on the sidelines of the East Asian summit.
Today and tomorrow, the ASEAN ministers are expected to meet with their counterparts from partner countries, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. On July 29, the 12th regional ASEAN forum will be held.
