The U.S. in South-East Asia and Russian Interests
The author points out that the countries of the region as a whole respond positively to the expansion of American presence in South-East Asia, the evidence being the conclusion of the Agreement on the ASEAN-U.S. Strategic Partnership signed on 21 November 2015 along with The Program of its implementation in 2016-2020. The author explains the reasons for such a reaction of the countries of the region and expresses confidence that Russia has no need to conclude a similar agreement with ASEAN, because in practice The Russian Federation maintains its relations with the SEA countries mainly on a bilateral basis. The analysis is given of the objectives pursued by the South-East Asian countries in relations with the United States in such areas as military, political, diplomatic and economic. The author identifies potential threats to Russian interests in South-East Asia by the expansion of the U.S. presence in the region. The most significant of them is the possible emergence of American oil and especially liquefied natural gas (LNG) on the SEA energy market.