WEST SEEKING TO MILITARISE SOUTHEAST ASIA, SAYS RUSSIA

Sun 13 November 2022:

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the West is “militarising” southeast Asia in a bid to contain Russian and Chinese interests.

Speaking at a news conference at the conclusion of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Phnom Penh, Lavrov scolded the United States over its actions in the region, which both Russia and the West see as a potential strategic geopolitical battleground in the coming decades.

“The United States and its NATO allies are trying to master this space,” Lavrov told reporters.

He said Joe Biden’s Indo-Pacific strategy was an attempt to bypass “inclusive structures” for regional cooperation and would involve “the militarisation of this region with an obvious focus on containing China, and containing Russian interests in the Asia-Pacific”.

Putin, Raisi hold talks, discuss bilateral agenda: Kremlin

The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi.

“The leaders discussed a number of current issues on the bilateral agenda with an emphasis on the continued building up of interaction in politics, trade and the economy, including transport and logistics,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

The leaders agreed that the contacts between Russian and Iranian institutions will be increased, it added.

Kyiv and its Western allies have accused Moscow of using Iranian-made drones in recent weeks to carry out attacks in Ukraine, where it launched a “special military operation” in February.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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