Jakarta

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed Indonesia’s efforts to promote ASEAN principles for the development of Asia-Pacific countries during his meeting with the director of the Office of the Central Foreign Commission. Affairs Wang Yi in Jakarta on the sidelines of the ASEAN ministerial events on Thursday. Russia’s Foreign Ministry on its Twitter handle further said, “FM #Lavrov: We appreciate Indonesia’s efforts to promote ASEAN values and principles in the context of the development of the Asia-Pacific countries, taking into account the regional architecture.” which, as we all agree, should become ASEAN-centric.”

Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi also highlighted “important high-level contacts” between Beijing and Moscow in the coming months during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday. Wang said at the meeting, “Against the background of historical changes in the world, we always adhere to the important consensus of our heads of state, firmly support each other in safeguarding fundamental interests. The multipolar world and the democratization of relations promote.” A readout from China’s Foreign Ministry.

🇷🇺🤝🇨🇳 On July 13, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Director of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee Foreign Affairs Commission Office Wang Yi met on the sidelines of the #ASEAN ministerial events in Jakarta.

Read in full: https://t.co/3K9EMPUPAM pic.twitter.com/qGe9zgkbHy

— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) July 13, 2023

Lavrov said Russia would work with China to strengthen an “ASEAN-centric mechanism” while supporting the Southeast Asian alliance to play a constructive role in the Asia-Pacific region. Lavrov along with Wang Yi met with Indonesian Foreign Minister @Menlu_RI in Jakarta. “On July 12, FM #Lavrov met with Wang Yi, Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, and Indonesian Foreign Minister @menlu_ri in Jakarta on the sidelines of the ASEAN Ministerial events,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia tweeted on his official Twitter account.

Earlier, China said on Tuesday that its Foreign Minister Qin Gang would not be able to attend the ASEAN meetings in Indonesia due to “health reasons”, Japan-based Kyodo News reported. Therefore, the director of the Office of the Central Foreign Commission is attending a series of meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Jakarta, Indonesia, from July 13 to 14, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin announced on Tuesday. Lavrov also met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Jakarta and discussed the Ukraine conflict, among other issues. The two ministers, who met on the sidelines of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) programs in Jakarta on Thursday, also discussed bilateral economic issues.