MOSCOW, October 2. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will take part in the 19th East Asia Summit (EAS) to be held in Laos on October 11, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated.
"The Russian foreign minister will take part in the 19th East Asia Summit to be held in Vientiane (the capital of Laos - TASS) on October 11," she said at a briefing.
As specified, Lavrov will hold a number of bilateral meetings with his Asian counterparts during his stay in Laos.
Zakharova recalled that the EAS is both the mechanism of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and key element of ASEAN-based multilateral dialogue and cooperation in the region.
The diplomat noted that ASEAN traditionally focuses the summit agenda on "the search for opportunities of strengthening interconnectivity and expanding the association’s cooperative field".
In addition, it is also planned to discuss issues of regional security, associated with "the Western line of militarization and creation of NATO basing structure," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman stressed.
Moreover, Zakharova said that the plan involves discussing "the possible formation of a bloc alternative to the ASEAN-centric system of interstate relations," with the principles of open and equal interaction at its basis.
"Russia has always stood for deepening multidimensional applied cooperation with ASEAN. This is the approach that underlies all Russian proposals on the EAS platform," the diplomat pointed out.
According to her, Russia is ready to cooperate with ASEAN countries in enhancing collective ability to respond to epidemic threats, establishing permanent consultation channels through tourism agencies, as well as strengthening support for volunteerism through the EAS platform. "We are also ready to share the experiences of implementing national programs in the development of remote areas with our partners," Zakharova concluded.