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Korea, Middle East, Ukraine discussed at ASEAN security forum

MOSCOW, August 11. /ITAR-TASS/. The situation in Korea, Middle East, Afghanistan, territorial disputes in the South China Sea and the Ukraine crisis were discussed at the ASEAN East Asia Summit and Regional Forum, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

The East Asia Summit, the forum of 18 countries of the Asia Pacific region, focused on preparation for the next high-level meeting in Myanmar about “new architecture of security and sustainable development” in the Asia Pacific, the Foreign Ministry said.

The summit also focused on the expansion of regional cooperation in energy, education, healthcare, dealing with emergencies and promotion of interconnection. The participants considered draft declarations to fight illegal trade in wild animals and a draft joint statement on the founding principles of cooperation in emergencies.

The Regional Forum discussed expansion of practical cooperation on ensuring peace and stability, facing new challenges and threats in the Asia Pacific, the ministry added.

The forum adopted the plan to counter terrorism and transnational crime in 2014-2015, the statement to strengthen coordination and cooperation in search and rescue operations at sea and in the air, co-authored by Russia and China, and the statement on cooperation in preventing and reacting to oil spills and eliminating their damage.

The forum also adopted new initiatives to provide security in the information space, outer space and at sea, nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and emergency response, the Foreign Ministry said.

Russian was represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov.