Statement of the President at the ASEAN-Russia Summit |
(Kuala Lumpur Convention Center, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, December 13, 2005) |
| Thank you (Malaysian) Prime Minister (Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad) Badawi. I join my ASEAN colleagues in warmly welcoming President (Vladimir) Putin to this Summit and also in welcoming Russia to WTO. The terrorist attacks experienced by Russia remind us of the seeds of destruction that lie beneath our daily lives. Russia became a signatory to the Joint Declaration for Peace and Security and Prosperity and Development in Asia-Pacific in 2003 and the Joint Declaration for Cooperation to combat International Terrorism in 2004. I take the occasion to propose an Anti-Terrorism Cooperation Agreement between the ASEAN Anti-Terrorism Pact Signatories and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to help stem the movement and operations of terrorists and extremist elements from Central Asia to South Asia and vice-versa. This proposed interaction between two large Asian anti-terrorism coalitions should help strengthen ASEAN relations with Russia and the Central Asian states. We are prepared to cooperate in every way we can with efforts to make East Asia a zone of peace and prosperity for all our peoples. ASEAN is also inextricably linked with Russia with regard to energy security. The ASEAN-Russia partnership in this area needs to be enhanced. With Russia’s rich oil resources, it would be in a position to assist ASEAN in this area. Finally, the Philippines looks forward to its role as the next Country Coordinator for Russia and will exert all efforts to promote a most meaningful and productive relation between us. |