The ASEAN – Russia Ministerial Meeting held via video conference on Wednesday. — Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

HÀ NỘI — Russia will continue to supply vaccines to ASEAN countries and is ready to transfer and expand vaccine production in the region.

Russia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Morgulov was speaking at the ASEAN – Russia Ministerial Meeting held via video conference yesterday.

The meeting is part of the 54th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (54th AMM) and related meetings.

Speaking at the meeting, he said Russia attaches importance to the strategic partnership with ASEAN, supports the bloc’s central role in the regional architecture.

Russia pledges to continue to actively participate in the ASEAN-led mechanisms and strengthen dialogue, cooperation, and coordination in response to difficulties and challenges in the context of unstable and complicated regional and international situations, he said.

The delegate said Russia would continue to supply vaccines to ASEAN countries and affirmed its readiness to transfer and expand vaccine production in the region and continue to organise training programmes for medical experts and staff of ASEAN countries.

As the country coordinator of ASEAN-Russia partnership for the period of 2018-2020, Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahendra Siregar praised the progress in ASEAN-Russia partnership since 2018 when ASEAN and Russia officially upgraded their relations to a Strategic Partnership.

ASEAN countries highly appreciated the results of the Special ASEAN-Russia Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in July, contributing to promoting bilateral relations and the joint efforts in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and promoting post-pandemic recovery.

They also welcomed Russia’s proposal about the organisation of the 4th ASEAN-Russia Summit.

Both sides welcomed the completion of negotiations on the Comprehensive Plan of Action for 2021-2025, and emphasised that this will be the basis for orientation of cooperation between the two sides in the next five years, after it is officially approved at the ASEAN-Russia Summit in October.

The two sides also agreed to continue to prioritise cooperation in pandemic response and post-pandemic recovery.

In the context of potential risks, instability and challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, participating countries emphasised the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security and safety in the region.

They also affirmed the need to continue to strengthen dialogue and cooperation, build trust, uphold ASEAN-led mechanisms, multilateralism, consolidate and build a rules-based international and regional order.

Speaking at the meeting, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyễn Quốc Dũng highly appreciated Russia's proactive and active role in promoting cooperation in response to emerging challenges to regional stability and development.

The Vietnamese representative welcomed Russia’s readiness to transfer vaccine technology and expand production to other countries.

He supported the consideration of the Free Trade Agreement between ASEAN and Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in the future.

He also welcomed Russia as a major power in the region and the world, playing an important and indispensable role in efforts to maintain and ensure regional peace, security and stability. — VNS