Russia has voiced strong opposition to NATO’s expansion into Southeast Asia, emphasizing concerns about militarization in the region.
“We do not want to see the militarization of this region, nor [do we want] NATO expansion to this part of the planet,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said, addressing the 15th Asian conference of the Valdai Discussion Club, News.az reports, citing TASS.
Russia’s cooperation with regional partners “corresponds to the realities of today,” Rudenko noted.
“We believe that Asia deserves a constructive approach, peace, stability, and economic development in line with the goals of cooperation at the Shanghai [Cooperation Organization], ASEAN and Eurasia’s three leading organizations which share common goals,” he added.