Moscow has high hopes for the further development of cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told journalists on Thursday.
According to him, Russia and these unions have increasingly more spheres of dovetailing interests. Lavrov pointed out that interaction had been established between the secretariats of all three structures enshrined in relevant memoranda, with the aim that "in practice, each of these organizations will consider the possibility of consolidating efforts with its partners."
"This reflects our strategic aspiration to facilitate the shaping of the Greater Eurasian Partnership not through some artificially formulated arrangements but proceeding from real life, from those practical projects that are being implemented on the ground both in the EAEU, and the SCO, and ASEAN," the top Russian diplomat said. "We have more and more spheres of coinciding interests and plans so here I am looking at further development with optimism," he explained.
"That said, I would like to stress that our vision of the Greater Eurasian Partnership is not limited to some separate structures but is rather an invitation to cooperation to all organizations and countries bar none located on our huge shared Eurasian continent," Lavrov added.
Russia Ready to Agree to Southeast Asia Nuclear-Free Zone If All Respect Treaty
Russia is ready to agree to the creation of a nuclear-free zone in Southeast Asia, provided that all participants comply with the requirements of the Treaty of Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said on Monday that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will ask Russia and other nuclear powers at the ministerial meetings to join the Treaty of Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone.
"We are not talking about Russia's accession to the treaty, but about a protocol to it, which invites nuclear powers to sign this protocol, thereby providing assurances to the parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Southeast Asia... We are ready to put a signature together with other countries, permanent members of the [UN] Security Council, with one reservation ... on the condition that all parties to the treaty comply with its requirements: not to possess, develop or host any nuclear weapons elements," Lavrov told reporters on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers meeting in Indonesia's Jakarta.
Japan May Host US Nukes
Japan is sending signals that it does not mind deploying the US's nuclear weapons, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday that the security of Europe and the Indo-Pacific region is "inseparable," adding that Japan and NATO, which "share core values and strategic interests," are deepening their ties.
"NATO is pursuing the thesis that security in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific region, as they call it, is indivisible. It is planned to move parts of NATO's military infrastructure to this region ... Japan and [South] Korea, by the way, are already signaling that they would not mind hosting American nuclear weapons or having their own. This is a very serious and dangerous trend," Lavrov stressed.
Russia, China planning major high-level contacts in second half of year — Chinese diplomat
Russia and China are planning for major high-level contacts in the second half of this year, Wang Yi, director of the Foreign Affairs Commission Office of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, said on Thursday.
"A number of important high-level contacts are expected in the second half of the year. It is important for us to coordinate well, to strengthen our bilateral and multilateral interaction, and to put into practice the goals set by our leaders for the development of our relations," Wang said at talks in Jakarta with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of ministerial-level events under the aegis of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
At the start of the meeting, he once again mentioned the success of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia in March. "Against the background of tectonic changes occurring around the world, we consistently adhere to the critical consensus between our respective heads of state, firmly supporting each other in protecting [our countries’] vital interests, and following the path of peaceful development, good-neighborliness and mutual benefit, as well as promoting a multipolar world order and the democratization of relations. We are satisfied with the trend in the development of our relations and strongly believe in the bright prospects" for their future development, the senior diplomat emphasized.
"China and Russia are ASEAN partners. Strengthening our cooperation in ASEAN helps to bring our positions into closer alignment, and to advance multifaceted forms of cooperation that can defend the ASEAN-centric system as well as the structure of cooperation with this association," Wang stressed.
No comments:
Post a Comment