The idea to form an Indo-Pacific region, propelled by Japan, the US, and Australia, is confrontational by nature and can disrupt the already-existing cooperation structures between countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st June, 2021) The idea to form an Indo-Pacific region, propelled by Japan, the US, and Australia, is confrontational by nature and can disrupt the already-existing cooperation structures between countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.
Lavrov met with the Mongolian top diplomat, Battsetseg Batmunkh, to discuss interaction in international organizations, primarily in the UN and the OSCE, as well as in various forums in the Asia-Pacific region.
"We have shared our assessment of the initiatives currently being promoted by the United States, Australia and Japan to form the so-called Indo-Pacific Region. We have agreed that this idea is openly confrontational and aims to break down the open and inclusive cooperation structures that have been built for decades around ASEAN," Lavrov said at a joint press conference after the meeting.
The two diplomats further discussed bilateral cooperation under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
The US has been fortifying its position in the Indo-Pacific both militarily and diplomatically, with the government's new fiscal year 2022 budget reflecting increased engagement with the area. The defense budget included $5.1 billion for the US military's Pacific Deterrence Initiative, which is designed to increase American capabilities in the Indo-Pacific and counter China's regional policies.
