Representatives of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Russia have discussed new prospects for bilateral cooperation at a roundtable talks on Sept. 13 in Irkutsk province, Russia.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Pham Xuan Son emphasised the great potential for cooperation between ASEAN and Russia , particularly in the context of dynamic cooperation between Russia and the Asia-Pacific region and Russia ’s role in maintaining regional development and stability.

He noted the top task now is to create favourable conditions to realise reached agreements and seeking new directions for cooperation.

Vietnam as an active and responsible ASEAN member, has been sparing no effort to develop the group’s relations with Russia , the diplomat affirmed.

Malaysian Ambassador Omar Zainol Abidin Bin, who is also head of the ASEAN diplomatic corps in Moscow , briefed the participants on ASEAN’s strengths and possible fields of cooperation.

He stressed that Russia ’s becoming a full member of the East Asian Summit (EAS) this year and hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in 2012 in Vladivostok are important events.

Russian delegates, including Vice Chairman of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Georgy Petrov, Vice Governor of Irkutsk Sergey Anikeev and the Russian President’s Representative to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Leonid Moiseev, highly valued the second ASEAN-Russia held in Hanoi on 2010, saying the future of Russia is closely connected with the Asia-Pacific region.

Themed “Russia-ASEAN new cooperation prospects”, the roundtable meeting is the first of its kind within the framework of the 7th Baikal International Economic Forum, which took place in Irkutsk province from Sept. 13-14./.