Prime Minister of Vietnam: ASEAN and Russia should step up cooperation in a number of areas

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) highly appreciates Russia's contribution to promoting regional cooperation, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, who will head the Vietnamese delegation at the 20th ASEAN — Russia summit, said in an interview with TASS News Agency.

The Prime Minister went on to highlight Russia's constructive contribution to the cooperation mechanisms created and operating within ASEAN: the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN Regional Forum, and, Defence Ministers Meetings with dialogue partners.

"ASEAN highly appreciates Russia's support of the Association's central role in regional frameworks in charge of dealing with security threats," Nguyễn Xuân Phúc pointed out.

Moving forward, he believes, ASEAN and Russia should step up their ties in a number of specific areas as well as boost cooperation in areas of interest to ASEAN and in which Russia possesses a comparative advantage. In this respect, the Prime Minister mentioned science and technology, energy, responding to security threats, especially on the sea, countering terrorism and transnational crime, as well as combating the effect of climate change as examples.

At the same time, Vietnam has always been and will remain in favour of strengthening and expanding the all-embracing partnership between ASEAN and Russia, the minister concluded.