MOSCOW, May 13. /TASS/. Member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Naitons (ASEAN) value Russia’s role in the Asia Pacific Region, Russian Foreign Ministry’s Ambassador at Large and member of the Russian delegation to Russia-ASEAN Eminent Persons Group Alexander Ivanov told a press conference at TASS on Friday.

"In our relations with ASEAN, we have approached a very important stage - turning to the level of strategic partnership," Ivanov said. "One of the main reasons are similar or equal positions on main issues of international politics. They include adherence to UN Charter, international law, inadmissibility of double standards," he added.

"If you look from the ASEAN’s point of view, then we see that ASEAN values Russia’s role both in global issues and in the Asia Pacific Region," the diplomat noted. "ASEAN calls on us to be more involved in regional matters, to take more active part in their events," he noted.

The Association plays a stabilizing and constructive role in the region where the remnants of the Cold War can still be found, Ivanov said. "We want to eradicate these remnants so that there is no division on ‘us’ and ‘them’, so that everyone is equal," the diplomat concluded.

Russia-ASEAN summit

The Russia-ASEAN summit will be held in Sochi on May 19-20 and will become the biggest international event in Russia in 2016. The summit will be held under the slogan "Towards Strategic Partnership for the Sake of the Common Good."

The summit is expected to adopt a declaration that will lay the basis for an action plan of Russia-ASEAN cooperation in the political, economic and cultural spheres, as well as in the sphere of security.

Russia has been a dialog partner of ASEAN since July 1996. Similar partnership summits are normally held on the territory of member-states and the choice of Sochi as venue for the Russia-ASEAN summit on the partnership’s 20th anniversary is symbolic.