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APEC communication ministers meet in St Petersburg to discuss coop

This year, Russia presides over the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and prepares to host the APEC summit in Vladivostok

ST. PETERSBURG, August 7 (Itar-Tass) — APEC communication and informatization ministers at their meeting in St. Petersburg have begun to work out a joint declaration on the development for the next few years.

The two-day ministerial meeting opened on Tuesday.

This year, Russia presides over the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and prepares to host the APEC summit in Vladivostok.

Russian Communication Minister Nikolai Nikiforov noted when opening the meeting that it was expected to result in a document that would be basic in the field of information and communication technologies.

According to the organizers, the Petersburg declaration will reflect the results of the work for the past two years and views of the further development. The declaration will also include a strategic plan for the APEC working group on telecommunications and information for 2010-2015.

The Russian minister noted communication played a very important role in the development of industry, agriculture and the society. Those who have information have great influence on all the processes in the world. So, communication is one of the most important areas of the APEC policy, Nikiforov added.

Among the issues the ministerial meeting in St. Petersburg will discuss are the development of the system of an electronic government, introduction of the network and technologies of the next generation, the increasing potential of the use of information and communication technologies, protection of information and the communication infrastructure and cyber security. The ministers will also discuss possibilities to reduce the gap in digital technologies and promotion of the Asian-Pacific information society.