Fidan, Lavrov discuss bilateral ties, energy cooperation at ASEAN summit

VIENTIANE, Laos

Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Friday at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Laos and discussed bilateral relations as well as energy and economic cooperation.

Fidan is in Laos for a two-day visit to participate in Türkiye's sixth trilateral meeting with ASEAN as part of their "sectoral dialogue partnership."

The two ministers also discussed the Russia-Ukraine war, developments in the Gaza Strip, the situation in Syria, and other regional issues.

Fidan also met with the ASEAN general secretary and his Malaysian counterpart.

Additionally, he will meet with his counterparts from Laos, Singapore, and England.

The talks in the capital Vientiane coincide with ASEAN's 57th foreign ministers summit.

Last year, the minister attended Ankara's fifth meeting with ASEAN in Indonesia.

Türkiye formalized its relationship with ASEAN in 2010 by signing one of the bloc's founding documents and became a sectoral dialogue partner in 2017.

The trade volume with ASEAN countries has grown notably, from $6.5 billion in 2010 to $12 billion in 2017. Despite a slowdown in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, trade rebounded to reach $14.6 billion in 2023.

The ASEAN summit commenced on July 25. In a statement on X, the 10-member bloc reiterated its commitment to the theme of this year's summit, "ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience."

ASEAN will also conduct bilateral meetings with China, the United States, Russia, and India.

The political and economic union comprises 10 southeastern Asian states, representing a population of over 600 million.