Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on Wednesday to take part in the 18th East Asia Summit, scheduled for September 7, a Sputnik correspondent reported.
The annual meetings of the EAS are held within the framework of the summit of the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Russia and the United States have been attending the annual meeting since 2011.
Zakharova noted that Lavrov will meet his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on the sidelines of the EAS and will participate in a gala dinner hosted by Indonesian President Joko Widodo for the heads of all delegations attending the gathering.
The spokeswoman also said that in the course of the EAS, Moscow considers it important to discuss "the challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region today" and "to draw attention to the risks of aggravation of the military and political situation in the Asia-Pacific region amid the West's policy of expanding NATO's geographical area of responsibility."
After the summit, Lavrov is expected to pay a working visit to Bangladesh from September 7-8 where he will meet with the country's prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, and Foreign Minister Abdul Momen. From Bangladesh, the foreign minister will depart for the Indian capital of New Delhi for a G20 summit scheduled for September 9-10.
The EAS is a platform for dialogue among Asia-Pacific leaders on policy accommodation, ensuring development and promoting practical cooperation among states.