Russian defense minister briefs ASEAN counterparts on Syria operation

MOSCOW, April 26. /TASS/. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told his counterparts from member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the results of Russia’s counter-terror operation in Syria, the ministry’s press office said on Tuesday. "The first informal meeting of the defense ministers of Russia and ASEAN member-states was held in Moscow today. The Russian defense minister exchanged opinions with his counterparts on the situation in the Asia-Pacific region," the press office said. As Shoigu said, no region in the world is protected from the growing terrorist threat, which requires pulling together the efforts of all the countries to fight it. The build-up of interaction with the ASEAN countries in the fight against terrorism is an important factor of strengthening security in the Asia-Pacific region, the Russian Defense Ministry’s press office said. During the meeting, the Russian defense minister outlined the ministry’s views on key security challenges and threats in the Asia-Pacific region. Shoigu highlighted international terrorism, the spread of mass destruction weapons, territorial disputes, piracy, drug trafficking and organized crime, the press office said. The defense ministers’ meeting was held on the eve of the Russia-ASEAN summit scheduled to take place in Sochi on May 19-20 and expected to become the largest international event in Russia in 2016. Russia has been the ASEAN full-fledged dialog partner since July 1996. Read more