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Russia to expand cooperation with ASEAN states in all directions — top security official

Nikolay Patrushev stressed that ASEAN was one of the fundamental formats of political interaction in the Asia-Pacific Region

MOSCOW, August 22. /TASS/. Russia intends to expand cooperation with ASEAN countries on all tracks, Secretary of Russia’s Security Council Nikolay Patrushev said on Monday.

"Our country intends to activate multifaceted strategic dialogue with the association, expand practical cooperation in all directions as well as work jointly on reacting to problems emerging in the region," he said at the consultations of high representatives in charge of security issues of Russia and ASEAN.

The Russian top security official stressed that ASEAN is one of the fundamental formats of political interaction in the Asia-Pacific Region (APAC). In his opinion, the system of dialogue mechanisms created by the association plays a defining role in ensuring peace, stability and mutual trust between the region’s key players.

"Russia invariably supports the preservation of the ASEAN-centric system of transnational relations in the region. The ideals promoted by ‘the group of ten’ are in sync with the Russian concept of equitable and indivisible security," he emphasized. Patrushev noted that thanks to this, the association’s member states with ease find common ground in such a complex sphere as ensuring security and maintaining strategic stability in the APAC region.

Speaking of joint reaction to emerging challenges, the secretary of the Russian Security Council underscored that the range of these problems and threats is very extensive. Among them, he listed terrorism, separatism, extremism, transnational crime, human, arms and drug trafficking, cybercrime, piracy, smuggling and illegal financial activity. "It is also necessary to remember about the comprehensive interrelated nature of these challenges," he cautioned, specifying that both Russia and ASEAN states already have substantial shared experience for work in practically all of these directions.

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