ID :
148052
Sat, 10/30/2010 - 14:14
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/148052
The shortlink copeid
Medvedev to seek firmer foothold in APR at Russia-ASEAN summit
HANOI, October 30 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has
arrived in Hanoi. He will stay here for two days. First, Medvedev will
take part in a Russia-ASEAN summit. On Sunday, he will pay an official
visit to Vietnam.
According to presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko, "one of the main
topics at the summit in Hanoi will be prospects for promoting the dialogue
and partnership between Russia and ASEAN."
A source in the Kremlin told Itar-Tass in an interview that Russia "is
interested in ASEAN countries as a system partner in both economic and
political spheres."
"ASEAN members have long declared commitment to multi-vector efforts
in the Pacific region, with Australia and the United States. An advanced
phase of relations with Russia helps them create favorable conditions for
cooperation with other states, if not use it as a counter-balance. This is
quite natural," said the expert.
The summit is to hear speeches by the prime minister of Vietnam, by
the Russian president, and by the prime minister of Myanmar. After that
the leaders will discuss the current state and development prospects of
their dialogue and partnership in the form of a free discussion.
"For us, it will be crucial during the summit to declare support for
multilateral diplomacy, for conjugated action by such multilateral
frameworks as ASEAN, APEC, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the
East Asian Summit," Prikhodko said. The leaders will discuss the situation
in the Korean Peninsula and the Iranian nuclear program.
"I believe that there will be vast room for discussing economic and
financial aspects of joint efforts in overcoming the financial crisis,
issues of security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region and Russia's
participation in regional multilateral organizations," he added.
"We intend to inform our partners about the economic situation in
Russia and on progress towards Russia's accession to the WTO," Medvedev's
aide said.
The approaches the leaders will agree on will be put on record in a
final joint statement.
"Among the priorities of interaction there will be greater trading and
economic cooperation (in 2009, bilateral trade totaled 6.8 billion
dollars), cooperation in ensuring regional energy security, high
technology, space research, medicine, information technology and
mechanical engineering," he said.
"The summit was preceded by a meeting of representatives of business
communities of Russia and ASEAN (on October 28)," Prikhodko recalled. "The
main objective of this event will be to contribute to enhancing and
deepening direct partnership between the leading Russian and ASEAN
businesses, as well as to create a favorable background for the discussion
of economic prospects by the leaders."
The heads of states are to consider "the implementation of the
integrated action program for the development of Russia-ASEAN cooperation
for 2005-2015, and an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in
economic development of 2005." Prikhodko also said that on the eve of the
summit "a working program was adopted for energy cooperation between
Russia and ASEAN in 2010-2015 in the key areas, including traditional
(oil, gas, electricity), and in renewable energy, including nuclear power,
and clean technologies."
"This framework document declares our willingness to focus on such
topics as energy efficiency, diversification of transport and other
schemes of energy supplies, cooperation with other neighbors, measures to
ensure the security of energy supply, and diversification, and also
highlights our attitude to the importance of nuclear power and to the
stable functioning of markets for energy sources," the Russian
presidential aide said.
"Particular attention at the summit will be given to synergies in the
field of response to emergencies," he went on to say. "Also on the agenda
will be the question of Russia's assistance in reducing the development
gap between ASEAN countries, in particular, in ensuring food security, in
training national personnel, and in implementing programs for the
development of the Mekong River basin."
At the summit, the Russian and ASEAN foreign ministers will sign an
intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in culture, "which will help
create the necessary legal and institutional framework for building
cultural ties with 'the group of ten' and for the expansion of our
information presence in the region."
"2011 will mark 15 years of the ASEAN-Russia dialogue and partnership.
A program for Russian Culture Day in the ASEAN countries on the occasion
of the 15th anniversary of the dialogue and partnership will be discussed
at the consultations in a conjunction with the next meeting of the ASEAN
Committee on Culture and Information (due in Singapore on November 9-13),"
the Kremlin official said.
"The first Russia-ASEAN meeting was held in Kuala Lumpur on December
13, 2005," Prikhodko recalled. "The upcoming summit will be an important
step forward in achieving the aims the Russian president set to gain a
firmer foothold in the Asia-Pacific Region, and to promote participation
in regional integration processes in order to accelerate the modernization
and innovative development of the national economy," he said.
"The Asia-Pacific Region's share in the world GDP is about 60 percent,
it accounts for 50 percent of world trade and for about 40 percent of
total world investment. Today, ASEAN, with its 580-million population, an
aggregate GDP of 1.5 trillion dollars, foreign trade turnover of 1.7
trillion dollars and stable economic growth rates is one of the largest
regional organizations, which plays a crucial role in shaping security and
the cooperation architecture in the Asia-Pacific region," the Kremlin
official said.
"During the period since 2005 much practical work has been done to
create a legal framework and mechanisms for dialogue and partnership
between ASEAN and Russia," Prikhodko said. "There have been regular
meetings of foreign ministers and ministers of economy, and of senior
officials representing various areas of activity. We have established
direct contacts between experts on the economy, energy and emergency
response."
Also, there has been created the Dialogue Partnership Financial Fund
of ASEAN and Russia, which in 2007-2010 financed such projects as The Use
of Small and Medium Enterprises of ASEAN National E-Commerce Systems,
Cooperation in the Scientific and Methodological Field of Studies of
Foreign Languages for Business and Professional Communication in ASEAN,
and Russian Language Course for Tourist Operators of the ASEAN Countries.
Seminars have been held on the development and creation of next-generation
vaccines and on renewable energy.
The ASEAN member-countries are Brunei, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines.
arrived in Hanoi. He will stay here for two days. First, Medvedev will
take part in a Russia-ASEAN summit. On Sunday, he will pay an official
visit to Vietnam.
According to presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko, "one of the main
topics at the summit in Hanoi will be prospects for promoting the dialogue
and partnership between Russia and ASEAN."
A source in the Kremlin told Itar-Tass in an interview that Russia "is
interested in ASEAN countries as a system partner in both economic and
political spheres."
"ASEAN members have long declared commitment to multi-vector efforts
in the Pacific region, with Australia and the United States. An advanced
phase of relations with Russia helps them create favorable conditions for
cooperation with other states, if not use it as a counter-balance. This is
quite natural," said the expert.
The summit is to hear speeches by the prime minister of Vietnam, by
the Russian president, and by the prime minister of Myanmar. After that
the leaders will discuss the current state and development prospects of
their dialogue and partnership in the form of a free discussion.
"For us, it will be crucial during the summit to declare support for
multilateral diplomacy, for conjugated action by such multilateral
frameworks as ASEAN, APEC, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the
East Asian Summit," Prikhodko said. The leaders will discuss the situation
in the Korean Peninsula and the Iranian nuclear program.
"I believe that there will be vast room for discussing economic and
financial aspects of joint efforts in overcoming the financial crisis,
issues of security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region and Russia's
participation in regional multilateral organizations," he added.
"We intend to inform our partners about the economic situation in
Russia and on progress towards Russia's accession to the WTO," Medvedev's
aide said.
The approaches the leaders will agree on will be put on record in a
final joint statement.
"Among the priorities of interaction there will be greater trading and
economic cooperation (in 2009, bilateral trade totaled 6.8 billion
dollars), cooperation in ensuring regional energy security, high
technology, space research, medicine, information technology and
mechanical engineering," he said.
"The summit was preceded by a meeting of representatives of business
communities of Russia and ASEAN (on October 28)," Prikhodko recalled. "The
main objective of this event will be to contribute to enhancing and
deepening direct partnership between the leading Russian and ASEAN
businesses, as well as to create a favorable background for the discussion
of economic prospects by the leaders."
The heads of states are to consider "the implementation of the
integrated action program for the development of Russia-ASEAN cooperation
for 2005-2015, and an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in
economic development of 2005." Prikhodko also said that on the eve of the
summit "a working program was adopted for energy cooperation between
Russia and ASEAN in 2010-2015 in the key areas, including traditional
(oil, gas, electricity), and in renewable energy, including nuclear power,
and clean technologies."
"This framework document declares our willingness to focus on such
topics as energy efficiency, diversification of transport and other
schemes of energy supplies, cooperation with other neighbors, measures to
ensure the security of energy supply, and diversification, and also
highlights our attitude to the importance of nuclear power and to the
stable functioning of markets for energy sources," the Russian
presidential aide said.
"Particular attention at the summit will be given to synergies in the
field of response to emergencies," he went on to say. "Also on the agenda
will be the question of Russia's assistance in reducing the development
gap between ASEAN countries, in particular, in ensuring food security, in
training national personnel, and in implementing programs for the
development of the Mekong River basin."
At the summit, the Russian and ASEAN foreign ministers will sign an
intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in culture, "which will help
create the necessary legal and institutional framework for building
cultural ties with 'the group of ten' and for the expansion of our
information presence in the region."
"2011 will mark 15 years of the ASEAN-Russia dialogue and partnership.
A program for Russian Culture Day in the ASEAN countries on the occasion
of the 15th anniversary of the dialogue and partnership will be discussed
at the consultations in a conjunction with the next meeting of the ASEAN
Committee on Culture and Information (due in Singapore on November 9-13),"
the Kremlin official said.
"The first Russia-ASEAN meeting was held in Kuala Lumpur on December
13, 2005," Prikhodko recalled. "The upcoming summit will be an important
step forward in achieving the aims the Russian president set to gain a
firmer foothold in the Asia-Pacific Region, and to promote participation
in regional integration processes in order to accelerate the modernization
and innovative development of the national economy," he said.
"The Asia-Pacific Region's share in the world GDP is about 60 percent,
it accounts for 50 percent of world trade and for about 40 percent of
total world investment. Today, ASEAN, with its 580-million population, an
aggregate GDP of 1.5 trillion dollars, foreign trade turnover of 1.7
trillion dollars and stable economic growth rates is one of the largest
regional organizations, which plays a crucial role in shaping security and
the cooperation architecture in the Asia-Pacific region," the Kremlin
official said.
"During the period since 2005 much practical work has been done to
create a legal framework and mechanisms for dialogue and partnership
between ASEAN and Russia," Prikhodko said. "There have been regular
meetings of foreign ministers and ministers of economy, and of senior
officials representing various areas of activity. We have established
direct contacts between experts on the economy, energy and emergency
response."
Also, there has been created the Dialogue Partnership Financial Fund
of ASEAN and Russia, which in 2007-2010 financed such projects as The Use
of Small and Medium Enterprises of ASEAN National E-Commerce Systems,
Cooperation in the Scientific and Methodological Field of Studies of
Foreign Languages for Business and Professional Communication in ASEAN,
and Russian Language Course for Tourist Operators of the ASEAN Countries.
Seminars have been held on the development and creation of next-generation
vaccines and on renewable energy.
The ASEAN member-countries are Brunei, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines.
