Economics

23:54, 07.09.2007 | Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Moscow hopes to develop the Russian Far East through enhanced participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

In a message issued to major media organizations ahead of this year's APEC summit starting Saturday in Sydney, Putin said, "Russia strives to actively broaden its participation in APEC," adding, "Top priority is given to projects of intensive development of Siberia and the Far East."
At an APEC ministerial meeting in Hanoi last year, Russia offered to host the 2012 summit and ministerial meetings in Vladivostok and it repeated the proposal at the just-ended ministerial meeting of the 21-member forum in Sydney. Participants welcomed the proposal.
Moscow's bid will likely be formally approved after the host country for APEC events in 2011 is decided, a Japanese official said.
Russia joined APEC in 1998. The grouping of Asian-Pacific economies came into being in 1989 and includes China, Japan and the United States among its members.


- Kyodo News