MOSCOW, February 3. /TASS/. The West has not given up on its attempts to destabilize the cooperation and security system established within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu told TASS in an interview.
"We simultaneously observe unrelenting attempts by some Western actors to destabilize the regional system of multilateral relations, cooperation, and security that has been established. Myanmar is one of the targets of the supporters of reformatting this system. They try to undermine the bloc’s unity, create a regional hotbed, and destroy ASEAN’s independence," the security official said following his working visit to Myanmar.
According to Shoigu, Moscow believes that the ASEAN member states understand these risks and can overcome their temporary differences on Myanmar. "Especially given the fact that a roadmap for solving these issues has already been developed: the so-called Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar," he added.
The security official also noted that the level and format of Myanmar’s representation at association events is a domestic affair. "At the same time, it is well known that Myanmar is part of the ASEAN family and participates in drafting all its documents and decision-making processes," he emphasized. "ASEAN has long striven to become a pillar of security framework in the Asia-Pacific region. Russia traditionally supports the strengthening of its central role in regional affairs," Shoigu said.
"On our end, we will continue our efforts to strengthen ASEAN-centric security architecture in the region. This is the purpose of the annual high-representatives' security consultations in the Russia-ASEAN format, in which Myanmar actively participates. We expect to hold a similar event within the framework of the annual security forum in the Moscow Region on May 26-29 this year," the security official added.