JAKARTA /Indonesia/, November 16. /TASS/. Russia is ready to contribute to neutralizing threats in the Asia-Pacific region, Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said at the 10th meeting of defense ministers of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and dialogue partners (ADMM-Plus) on Thursday.

"I would like to note that the number of security threats in the Asia-Pacific region and in the world is, unfortunately, steadily rising. Coordinated military cooperation is needed for countering them. Russia is ready to contribute to further strengthening the ADMM-Plus potential for countering these challenges," he said.

The Russian defense official expressed gratitude to all the participating countries for a considerable contribution to drafting a joint statement for adoption after today’s meeting, noting that the Russian Defense Ministry supported its wording.

The Russian deputy defense minister thanked Indonesia for its constructive ADMM-Plus chairmanship and wished Laos success in its upcoming work in this capacity.

"We hope for continued productive cooperation," the Russian defense official said, finishing his speech.