MOSCOW, July 2 (RIA Novosti) - "Russia is laying bridges to Southeast Asia", is the headline for an article about the ASEAN forum's opening in Jakarta. It is being attended by the foreign ministers of ten member countries and their colleagues from 14 partner countries, including U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The forum will spotlight the struggle against international terrorism, in particular piracy in the Molucca Passage. The ministers will also discuss the results of the six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear program held in Beijing last weekend, and the situation in Myanmar.
Minister Lavrov evaluates the results of the talks on the North Korean problem as "cautiously positive." Russia believes that the parties must address a block of problems, first ensuring the nuclear-free status of the country, giving it security guarantees and extending economic and humanitarian aid to it.
Sergei Lavrov said the first Russia-ASEAN summit may be held in Malaysia in 2005.
