MOSCOW (AP) 鈥� Russia鈥檚 President Vladimir Putin is hosting leaders of 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鈥檚 鈥渟trategic partnership鈥� with 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 鈥渄ialogue partner鈥� 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 鈥渃reate new opportunities for expanding mutually beneficial trade, investment, and industrial cooperation, while also strengthening direct dialogue between our business communities.鈥�
Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said the summit鈥檚 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 鈥渇orming a just and democratic multipolar world order based on the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter.鈥�
Ushakov told reporters that Putin was set to have bilateral meetings with ASEAN leaders during the summit.
Some of ASEAN鈥檚 diverse member countries are seen to be aligned with the United States, including the Philippines, which currently holds the association鈥檚 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.
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