Russia moved closer to getting full membership in the newly formed East Asia Summit, signing an economic cooperation accord expected to deepen its ties with Southeast Asia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hailed the pact as progress in creating substantive relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

"The economic declaration signed today is developing our legal basis for cooperation further," Lavrov said.

"This economic declaration would form the basis of the comprehensive program of cooperation between Russia and Asean for the years 2005-2015," he said.

Russia was refused full membership at next week's inaugural East Asia Summit because Asean, the catalyst for the new group, was split over its application.

But Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said Asean welcomed a more substantive relationship with Russia, a development that would see Moscow fulfilling all three criteria for summit membership.

Dialogue partner

Russia has already achieved the other two, signing a regional non-aggression pact and being formally recognised as a dialogue partner with the grouping.

"Russia has got strength. Russia wants to play a bigger role in Southeast Asia - we welcome that," Syed Hamid told reporters.

"We do not want our relations purely to be limited to only the question of political and security cooperation," he said.

"We can move forward in order to create more substantive relations," he said.

Despite differences over Moscow's membership, Asean officials also indicated the door was open.

"Geographically speaking, Russia is as much an Asian country as it is an European country. Russia's engagement with our region implies its recognition of the strategic significance of East Asia," Asean spokesman MC Abad said.

"It gives both sides an avenue for promoting friendship and cooperation," he told AFP .

Russian President Vladimir Putin will address the summit on Wednesday.

Asean groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, while the so-called "plus-three" format brings in China, Japan and South Korea.

The East Asian Summit will bring together those 13 plus Australia, India and New Zealand. Russia has been invited as a guest.