SOCHI, May 20. /TASS/. Secretaries general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Le Luong Minh and Rashid Alimov, on Friday discussed cooperation between the two associations and prospects of its further development.

"My sincere congratulations on the successful organization of the Russia-ASEAN summit. Cooperation between Russia and ASEAN will only strengthen after this summit," Alimov said at the beginning of the meeting.

The secretary general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization outlined the most promising ways of developing partnership between the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. "We will continue to focus on economic cooperation, including on the initiatives advanced by the leaders of Russia, China and Kazakhstan," he said. "Other most important subjects as peace and stability in our region, countering terrorism, international crime and illegal drug trafficking."

Alimov said it would be expedient to establish regular contacts between the two association’s secretariats and to look at setting up a SCO-ASEAN business forum.

Le Luong Minh agreed that dialogue on these topics is necessary. He said economic cooperation between the two regional associations could be mutually beneficial.