Defense Ministry Deputy Chief Briefed on Russian Federation's Position at ASEAN and SMOA Plus Defense Ministers' Meeting

Deputy Defense Minister of Russia Colonel General Alexander Fomin delivered the Russian Federation's line on security problems in the world and the Asia-Pacific region at the meeting of heads of defense agencies of ASEAN member countries and dialogue partners ("SMOA Plus") in Laos. This was reported in the Defense Ministry on November 21.

"In his speech at the "SMOA plus" Colonel General Alexander Fomin brought the Russian position on the most acute problems of security in the world and the Asia-Pacific region," the statement said.

During the meeting, the parties confirmed their readiness to interact with the Russian Defense Ministry on key areas of military cooperation of mutual interest.

"On the margins of" the meeting, the deputy head of the Russian Defense Ministry held bilateral meetings with the heads of delegations of the defense ministries of Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia and East Timor, during which they discussed in detail the issues of bilateral military cooperation, as well as the prospects of cooperation within the framework of regional multilateral formats, primarily - "SMOA plus", - added in the Russian Defense Ministry.

Earlier, on November 4, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at the international science fiction symposium "Creating the Future" that NATO intends to wage "defensive battles" thousands of miles from its borders, not only in the Euro-Atlantic, but in the Asia-Pacific region (APAC). He pointed to processes whereby small geometry alliances are being established by the U.S. and its allies to replace the open mechanisms established around ASEAN.