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Spotlight: Russia, ASEAN look to deepen cooperation

Xinhua, May 21, 2016 Adjust font size:

Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have reached agreements aimed at boosting cooperation and deepening partnership.

A two-day ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit held in southern Russia's Black Sea city of Sochi concluded on Friday with the signing of the Sochi Declaration and a five-year action plan.

Trade between Russia and ASEAN members was 13.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2015, rather modest compared with ASEAN's trade performance with some other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the summit.

One of the resounding calls at the summit was for the integration of regional organizations such as the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

All ASEAN countries voiced support for the integration of those mechanisms, said Putin who expected a free trade zone between ASEAN and the EEU.

Besides, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is also a promising cooperation partner for Russia and ASEAN members.

At Thursday's Russia-ASEAN Business Forum, AIIB President Jin Liqun said the bank wants to promote investment in infrastructure and mass transport lines in the vast Eurasian land, while Putin considered the AIIB a complement to the current international financial structure, and called for its more positive engagement in the global financial institution.

Russia and ASEAN vowed to strengthen cooperation in order to create a reliable security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region and to better fight global terrorism, cross-border crimes and drug trafficking.

SCO Secretary-General Rashid Alimov said at the summit that the bloc stands ready to boost cooperation with ASEAN in the fight against global terrorism.

While paying special attention to ramping up ties with countries of the Asia-Pacific, Moscow noted that it is not "turning to the East" but making a conscious choice with regard to tendencies that the Asia-Pacific region has been widely seen as a locomotive of global economy.

Despite their desire for cooperation, challenges remain, said an official.

"Russia and some ASEAN countries do not understand each other quite well," said Athikarn Dilogwathana, a Thai diplomat in Moscow. Endi