Phnom Penh: The United States is reportedly militarizing Southeast Asia, according to Russia's foreign minister, who also claimed that Washington was trying to limit Beijing and Moscow's influence in the region.
After attending the East Asia Summit in Cambodia, Sergei Lavrov speaks to reporters at the airport in Phnom Penh before heading to Bali for the G20 summit, where Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden will meet.
Biden said he would set "red lines" with Xi on Sunday.
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As Beijing acts more assertively in the region, which it sees as its strategic backyard, Washington is attempting to increase its influence in Southeast Asia.
Lavrov alleged that the United States is "advancing the militarization of the region, clearly intending to engage China and limit Russian interests."
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As the invasion of Ukraine continued and Western sanctions lifted, Russia turned to Southeast Asia in an effort to support its weakening economy.
Lavrov criticized Washington's strategy as "not inclusive and that competes with the inclusive structures built around ASEAN", which has led the United States to closer ties with Southeast Asian countries.
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International issues have taken central place in regional summits in Cambodia, with domestic issues such as Myanmar, first the conflict in Ukraine and then US-China relations.