On July 26, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov took part in the two-day annual ministerial meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Lao capital Vientiane, the press service of the Russian Foreign Ministry reports.
Russia’s top diplomat stressed that Moscow has consistently advocated strengthening the role of ASEAN in regional affairs. The “ASEAN-centric architecture” is based on equality and the interests of all participants, which contributes to the security and sustainable development of the Asia-Pacific region, he added.
Laos, which holds the ASEAN presidency in 2024, is hosting an annual series of ministerial and post-ministerial meetings of the regional bloc and ASEAN dialogue partner countries this week.
ASEAN includes Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar. East Timor is currently in the process of joining the association.
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