Putin Hosts Southeast Asia Leaders     06/17 06:17

   

   MOSCOW (AP) -- Russia's President Vladimir Putin is hosting leaders of the 
Association of Southeast Asian Nations at a summit that opens Wednesday, 
seeking to bolster business and other ties with members of the regional bloc.

   The two-day Russia-ASEAN summit, which is held in Kazan, is set to consider 
ways to expand Russia's "strategic partnership" with ASEAN that includes 
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, 
Singapore, Thailand, East Timor and Vietnam.

   The regional bloc has maintained relations with Moscow as a "dialogue 
partner" and engaged Russian officials in annual top-level meetings. The summit 
in Kazan marks the 35th anniversary of Russia-ASEAN relations.

   In a message greeting participants in a business forum held on the sidelines 
of the summit, Putin said he was confident that it will "create new 
opportunities for expanding mutually beneficial trade, investment, and 
industrial cooperation, while also strengthening direct dialogue between our 
business communities."

   Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said the summit's agenda 
includes exchanging views on global and regional issues and reviewing efforts 
to develop Russia-ASEAN ties. He emphasized that the participants are set to 
underline their adherence to "forming a just and democratic multipolar world 
order based on the principles of international law and the United Nations 
Charter."

   Ushakov told reporters that Putin was set to have bilateral meetings with 
ASEAN leaders during the summit.

   Some of ASEAN's diverse member countries are seen to be aligned with the 
United States, including the Philippines, which currently holds the 
association's yearly rotating presidency. Other members have heavy trade and 
security engagements with China and Russia.

   Several ASEAN members, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and 
Vietnam, have either imported Russian crude oil or expressed interest in 
purchasing it after global fuel prices soared in the wake of the war in Iran.