MOSCOW, June 10. /TASS/. Russia and the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are linked by long-standing ties of cooperation. The association will only benefit if it preserves its internal unity and ability to withstand external challenges, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a message to participants of the third ASEAN Future Forum.
"Russia is convinced that under the current geopolitical realities the Association will only benefit if it preserves its internal unity and ability to withstand external challenges. At the core of the ‘ASEAN way’ lies the principle of consensus, which предполагает the equality of all participants in cooperative processes, as well as consideration of their priorities and legitimate concerns," the text of the message, published on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website, said.
Lavrov stressed that Russia and ASEAN are connected by long-standing and strengthening ties of cooperation.
"We are confident that the Association’s member states possess everything necessary to secure worthy positions in the emerging multipolar world order. It is important that ASEAN’s commitment to the principles of harmonious coexistence, based on cultural and civilizational diversity, has contributed to the formation of a stable and balanced architecture of interstate interaction," he continued.
