KUALA LUMPUR /Malaysia/, July 28. /TASS/. The ASEAN nations eye Russia as a stabilizing factor capable of counteracting the extra-regional players’ "high-handed" moves, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters wrapping up his visit to Malaysia.
"We could make sure yesterday and the day before yesterday in Laos at the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Security Forum event that we are seen, if you will, as a balancing and stabilizing factor from the point of view of countering rather high-handed steps of the extra regional powers, led by the United States," he said.
Lavrov said that the United States pushes their military infrastructure, including strategic weapons, into the region bringing some elements of nuclear deterrent to the militarization of Southeast Asia and the Asia Pacific, in particular, "within the AUKUS project of the US, the UK and Australia where their nuclear-powered submarines will be provided with technology that must be put under IAEA control."
The minister pointed out that the Americans gave away their nuclear weapons to five partners in NATO long ago.
"They call all those joint nuclear missions, in which non-nuclear-weapon countries have the opportunity to train their troops, use and deliver nuclear weapons," he said. "Once this sad and rather risky experience is brought to Southeast Asia, I do not think it will make life better here. But there will be more risks."
According to Lavrov, the stance of Russia, which always proceeds from the need to create negotiation platforms and come to an agreement leaning on a balance of interests, is perceived with respect.
"It [the stance] is much closer to our ASEAN friends in contrast with this high-handed, aggressive line of the United States and NATO regarding military development of this region," the minister said.