Russia's cooperation with the Asia-Pacific region is a long-term priority that will bring the country sizable benefits, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Monday.

"Obviously, cooperation with China and the Asia-Pacific region is one of the key priorities for us," Medvedev told a meeting with his deputies.

The head of government said that for Moscow "Looking East" is a long-term policy and a "demand of the times."

He noted that Russia has turned to the East not as a response to the Western sanctions imposed over the events in Ukraine, but because cooperation would bring tangible benefits to the country.

Medvedev called on the government to draft a "thoroughly thought" road map of the strategic partnership with the Asia-Pacific region. He noted that the current active growth of the region's economy would likely continue in the near future.

Last week, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich visited China and discussed bilateral energy cooperation with senior Chinese officials. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to travel to Beijing on Tuesday.

In 2014, Russia-China trade will reach 100 billion U.S. dollars, and by 2020 that figure should double, according to experts' estimations.