MOSCOW (AP) 鈥� President Vladimir Putin hosted leaders of on Wednesday as Russia seeks to bolster business and other ties with the nations of the regional bloc.
The two-day meeting, being held in Kazan, is set to consider ways to expand Russia鈥檚 鈥渟trategic partnership鈥� with that include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor and Vietnam, according to Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov.
The regional bloc has maintained relations with Moscow as a 鈥渄ialogue partner鈥� and engaged Russian officials in annual top-level meetings, he said. The summit in Kazan, on the Volga River, marks the 35th anniversary of Russia-ASEAN relations.
In a message greeting participants in a business forum held on the sidelines of the summit, Putin said he was confident that it will 鈥渃reate new opportunities for expanding mutually beneficial trade, investment, and industrial cooperation, while also strengthening direct dialogue between our business communities.鈥�
Ushakov said the agenda includes exchanging views on global and regional issues and reviewing efforts to develop Russia-ASEAN ties. He emphasized that the participants are set to underline their adherence to 鈥渇orming a just and democratic multipolar world order based on the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter.鈥�
Ushakov praised what he described as 鈥渇ruitful, equal and constructive dialogue鈥� between Russia and ASEAN.
He told reporters that Putin would have bilateral meetings with ASEAN leaders during the summit, which he will co-chair with Philippine President whose country holds the association鈥檚 rotating presidency.
Opening a bilateral meeting with Marcos, Putin noted their countries’ 鈥渕utually beneficial cooperation built on good traditions, mutual respect and consideration of each other鈥檚 legitimate interests.鈥�
Marcos thanked Putin for organizing the Russia-ASEAN meeting in Kazan and invited him to the ASEAN summit in Manila in November.
Putin also met with Brunei鈥檚 Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
Russia and ASEAN nations “jointly stand for forming a just world order, defend the principles of sovereign equality of states, (of) non-interference into internal affairs,鈥� Putin said later at a formal reception.
鈥淎ll our states follow their own models of development and don’t impose their views on anyone. And this is, indeed, our strength,” he said. 鈥淩ussia is ready for continuing active joint work with ASEAN member states with the goal of strengthening strategic partnership, in the interests of ensuring security, well-being and prosperity of our countries and peoples, as well as the Eurasian region as a whole.鈥�
Some of ASEAN鈥檚 diverse member countries, including the Philippines, are seen to be aligned with the United States, while others have heavy trade and security engagements with China and Russia.
Several ASEAN members, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, have either imported Russian crude oil or expressed interest in purchasing it after global fuel prices soared in the wake of the war in Iran.
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