Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is set to participate in the 18th East Asia Summit (EAS) in Jakarta on Thursday. Lavrov arrived in Indonesia the previous day and has already engaged in several bilateral meetings.
The EAS summits take place annually in conjunction with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) fall events. Russia typically sends its foreign minister to represent the country in person.
Established in 2005, the East Asia Summit serves as a platform for strategic dialogue among leaders in the Asia-Pacific region (APR) on various issues related to security, economic growth, and practical cooperation. The forum includes ASEAN member countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam), as well as their dialogue partners, including Russia, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, USA, and Vietnam. East Timor, a candidate for ASEAN membership, has been invited to this year's EAS events.
Vice President Kamala Harris will represent the United States at the US-ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit, according to an announcement from Washington.
It's worth noting that last year, no joint statement was issued at the conclusion of the EAS due to US demands regarding Ukraine. Lavrov pointed out that the US and its partners insisted on an unacceptable assessment of the situation in and around Ukraine.
Dangerous trends
During the East Asia Summit, the Russian Federation has highlighted the importance of discussing the challenges currently facing the Asia-Pacific region.
The Russian MFA has expressed concerns about growing risks to the peaceful and sustainable development of the region. These concerns are based on what Russia sees as a confrontational approach by Western nations, which includes the militarization of the regional space and the involvement of NATO forces. This approach is seen as detrimental to the established security architecture around ASEAN, which is being replaced by "Indo-Pacific" block structures designed for containment and counteraction, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasized the need for a substantive discussion on preserving the stability of the ASEAN-centric architecture, which is under pressure from alternative bloc platforms.
Foreign Minister Lavrov previously pointed out that the U.S. and its allies are making efforts to replace the longstanding ASEAN-centric security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region "with their Indo-Pacific strategies, which also involve the introduction of NATO forces into the region."
Additionally, concerns have been raised about signals from Tokyo and Seoul indicating a willingness to acquire their own nuclear weapons or host American ones, which is seen as "a serious and dangerous trend."
Igor Kostyukov, the Head of the Main Directorate (GU) of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, noted that "the Pentagon is preparing to deploy two advanced multisphere brigades capable of precision strikes with long-range weapons in the Asia-Pacific region by 2028." The island of Io is being considered as a possible location for these weapons.
DPRK countermeasures
A complex situation is unfolding around the Korean Peninsula. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) conducted missile launch drills simulating a tactical nuclear strike on September 3 in response to joint exercises by the US and South Korea. The DPRK's nuclear forces have indicated they will continue to strengthen their combat readiness to deter war while also preserving peace and stability in the region.
DPRK Defense Minister Kang Sun-nam's statement, highlighting the US's use of events in Ukraine as a pretext to expand NATO influence in the Asia-Pacific region, has garnered attention. The minister emphasized that these US actions seriously threaten the security not only of the DPRK but also of other independent states in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Russian Foreign Ministry considers the East Asia Summit (EAS) platform an important element of the regional security architecture with potential for multi-vector practical interaction. The agenda of the upcoming meeting will revolve around the discussion of topical regional subjects and the development of practical cooperation in priority areas such as the economy, energy, environmental protection, healthcare, maritime cooperation, emergency response, food security, education, and regional connectivity.
Russia is in favor of expanding multi-vector applied cooperation on the EAS platform, including specific sectoral projects. Russia has proposed the inclusion of volunteerism in the EAS agenda, aiming to deepen social and humanitarian ties and contacts between people in the region. While ASEAN has supported Russia's initiative, the Western wing of the EAS has attempted to block its advancement.
A report by the Valdai International Discussion Club suggests that most Asian countries intend to continue developing relations with Moscow despite Western pressure and global instability. Even traditional US allies in the region, such as Japan and South Korea, are expected to maintain constructive ties with Russia, differentiating between business and politics to preserve economic connections.
Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko noted that Japan and South Korea are trying to separate business from politics and maintain business ties with Russia to the extent possible.
Joining efforts
Smolenskaya Square has underlined that Russia supports the strengthening of interstate ties in the region. This support extends to pairing ASEAN with regional formats of the Eurasian space, particularly the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). The goal is to collaborate on a positive non-bloc agenda focused on interconnectivity and co-development.
Since 2017, the leadership of the SCO and EEU executive bodies have been regularly invited to high-level ASEAN events. For instance, the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization participated in the East Asian Summit in 2017 and 2022. This year, the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IORARC) and the Pacific Island States Forum will be guests at the EAS.
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Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS