Russia, Philippines seek joint fight against terrorism, drug trafficking - Lavrov

MOSCOW, December 5. /TASS/. Russia and the Philippines confirm their interest in stepping up cooperation in combating terrorism and drug trafficking, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters after talks with his Philippine counterpart Perfecto Yasay on Monday. "We confirmed interest in increasing cooperation in the fight against international terrorism and illegal drug trade," Lavrov said. "Russia is ready to play host to the personnel of Philippine law enforcement bodies for upgrading their skills." During the talks, the sides agreed to enhance cooperation in the framework of the United Nations and other multilateral formats, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Lavrov said. "Next year the Philippines will be the chair of ASEAN and we hope for fruitful contacts with Manila as well as close cooperation in other formats where ASEAN plays a leading role," Russia’s top diplomat said. "We will also cooperate in the context of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and other structures working in the Asia-Pacific region." Lavrov noted that during the talks the sides exchanged views on the efforts to enhance regional security, which should be based on the principles of non-bloc approaches and respect for the international law. Read more