Asean members, Russia conclude first joint naval exercise amid rising tensions in South China Sea
- The three day drills off the coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra island were aimed at increasing interoperability between Asean states and the Russian navy
- Russia and the Southeast Asian bloc held their fourth summit online in October, and the next exercise could take place in Vladivostok
Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) have concluded their first joint naval exercise, Indonesia’s navy said on Saturday, as the region faces rising tensions with China.
The three-day exercise off the coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra island aimed at increasing interoperability between the Asean member states and the Russian navy in the strategic maritime area. It comes amid rising tensions between major powers in the South China Sea, a resource-rich waterway of geopolitical significance.
“The exercise has a strategic impact because it was designed to cultivate friendships between the Indonesian government, Asean countries and Russia,” the navy said.
The two-stage drills involved eight warships and four aircraft from Russia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Brunei.
Aleksei Bolotnikov, commander of the Russian warship Admiral Panteleyev, was quoted as saying he hoped the next Asean-Russia exercise could take place in Vladivostok.