MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd November, 2019) Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has proposed to hold joint naval drills with the participation of Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with the aim of increasing regional security.
"We could think about the launch of such drills in the Russia-ASEAN format," Medvedev said in an interview with Bangkok Post, referring to the naval drills held in the spring of this year in Singapore in the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) format.
"I am sure that this will increase the maritime security of the ten-member bloc," the Russian prime minister stressed, pointing out that Russian ships make regular friendly calls at the ports of Southeast Asia, particularly in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Medvedev added that Russia is ready to help ASEAN countries to fight piracy and illegal fishing, to ensure the safety of ports and to help in maritime search operations and in natural disaster response measures. According to the prime minister, Russia is already doing a lot with that respect and is "ready to increase cooperation in the area."
"We are also ready to help with the management of fish resources and in the fight against the pollution of marine areas, including with plastic waste. Today, this is one of the most acute problems of the Asia-Pacific region," the prime minister said.
Medvedev arrived in the Thai capital of Bangkok on Saturday to participate in the 2019 ASEAN business and Investment Summit.
The summit encompasses 10 ASEAN member states - Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam - as well as Russia, Australia, India, China, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan and the United States.
