JAKARTA, November 16. /TASS/. Russia is determined to expand multidisciplinary dialogue within ASEAN and develop cooperation across the region, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said at the 10th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Jakarta.

"We regard the countries of the Association as our reliable partners in addressing pressing issues of regional and global security. We express our intention to further expand our multidisciplinary dialogue and develop cooperation in leading regional formats, including ADMM-Plus," Fomin said.

He noted that "in the more than a decade since it was founded, ADMM-Plus has proven its worth in responding to key challenges and threats in the Asia-Pacific region." Among them Fomin mentioned international terrorism, natural disasters, epidemics, explosive objects, with which the territories of many countries in the region are filled.

"The effectiveness of ADMM-Plus has always stood on the basic principles of the association: equality, consensus and respect for the interests of all its participants, supported by the central and unifying role of ASEAN. We believe that this is the reason for the success and longevity of this mechanism," the deputy minister emphasized.

He reminded that 2023 "marks the five-year anniversary of the strategic partnership between Russia and ASEAN, a relationship that is now more than 30 years old in total."

Fomin also thanked the Indonesian Defense Ministry "for the opportunity to participate in the meeting of defense ministers of ASEAN member states and dialogue partners, as well as for Indonesia’s customary hospitality, and the well organized, substantial program of the event."