MOSCOW (Sputnik) — During the talks, it became clear that the ASEAN member countries and Russia hold similar opinion on international conflicts and combating new threats, primarily terrorism, according to the defense minister.
"We are focused on expanding [our] contact with the ASEAN counties in a bilateral format. For this purpose, a series of meetings with the defense ministers of the Association member states have been scheduled, during which military and military-technical cooperation will be discussed in particular," Shoigu said at the first ever meeting of the ASEAN defense ministers in Moscow.
The meeting was timed to take place ahead of the Russia-ASEAN summit that is scheduled to be held in the southern Russian resort city of Sochi on May 19-20.
ASEAN is comprised of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
