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Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's opening remarks at the Russia-ASEAN Ministerial Conference, Jakarta, July 13, 2023

13 July 2023 07:22
1397-13-07-2023

Mr Co-Chairman,

Colleagues,

I am delighted to be staying in hospitable Jakarta once again. I would like to thank Indonesia as the ASEAN Chair for the wonderful organisation of today's meeting. I would like to convey special thanks to Cambodia and you, Mr Co-Chairman, for coordinating the Russia-ASEAN dialogue partnership for the past two years. Next year, these functions will be delegated to our Brunei colleagues, and we will continue to deepen our constructive collaboration with them.

The Russian Federation and ASEAN established relations over 30 years ago. Since 2005, the Russia-ASEAN dialogue has had the official status of a well-developed and comprehensive dialogue. This year, we are marking the fifth anniversary of our strategic partnership. I congratulate everyone present here on this significant date. A special statement has been drafted in this connection.

Efforts to strengthen and expand diverse cooperation in accordance with guidelines set by leaders at the 2021 summit are our common priority. We have already accomplished a lot. For example, contacts between foreign ministries and national security councils are developing intensively.

It is hard to overestimate the significance of our joint work in high-tech sectors. A meeting of ministers overseeing issues of science and innovations in February 2023 was a major event. The agenda includes new initiatives in the field of economic digitalisation and the development of smart cities. Cooperation in facilitating food and energy security and in the sphere of education has good prospects.

Russia and ASEAN countries are united by a firm commitment to forging a more equitable and democratic multipolar international order based on the principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and interdependence. We consistently advocate efforts to strengthen an ASEAN-centric system that should remain the foundation of the Asia-Pacific region's security and sustainable development. We know that not everyone likes this; however, we are guided by objective tasks of maintaining peace and stability in this vast region, rather than by anyone's preferences.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome a representative of East Timor and to congratulate him on the approval in May 2023 of a roadmap for joining the Association. We hope that this will facilitate the country's more complete integration into the region's political and economic life, the prosperity of its citizens, and that this will benefit all neighbours of this state.