VLADIVOSTOK, September 8 (Itar-Tass) —— Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday will open the first APEC summit to be held in Russian territory – on Russky Island in Vladivostok. In the capacity of the host Putin will chair several full-scale sessions and also a meeting with members of the Business Advisory Council. The series of contacts by APEC leaders will end on Sunday with the adoption of a final declaration.
“Two working meetings of the heads of state and government under Putin’s chairmanship are due. A detailed discussion of the priorities of Russia’s APEC presidency in 2012 will be central to the agenda,” presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said. “The forum’s performance in the reviewed period will be evaluated and plans drawn up for the future.”
Also, there will be a meeting of the APEC economies’ leaders with the members of the APEC Business Advisory Council – the main machinery of a dialogue between the state and businesses within the APEC. “This sort of tight contacts with businesses is one of the advantages of the forum, which is geared to addressing specific issues of trading and investment liberalization and the elimination of barriers hindering the free movement of goods, services and capitals, in a word, the problems that play a key role in maintaining business activity and ensuring economic development,” Ushakov said.
At the working breakfast the APEC leaders will discuss the ongoing processes in the global economy and the situation in the APEC space. A lively discussion is expected of the current state of affairs in the world’s finance, trade and the market of labor. The managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, will make a report as a guest speaker.
“The summit is to adopt a declaration of the APEC economies’ leaders,” Ushakov said. “The document is to reflect joint approaches to developing APEC cooperation in the priority spheres of Russian presidency, such as trading and investment liberalization and regional economic integration, the strengthening of food security, the creation of reliable transport and logistics systems and interaction for the sake of innovative growth,” he said.
“Ushakov pointed out that debates on and coordination of the text of the document always continues up to the last moment. Each clause is polished and discussed thoroughly and Russia’s position will certainly be reflected.
“The document is a compromise reflecting the opinions and interests of the participating countries, including Russia,” Ushakov said.
Special thematic addenda to the declaration will be adopted. They will emphasize the importance of ensuring innovative growth, energy security, and trans-border cooperation in higher education and resistance to corruption.
As he dwelt on Russia’s approaches to the main themes being discussed Ushakov highlighted the following ones. “Within the framework of the efforts to bring about further trading and investment liberalization and deepen regional economic integration the leaders are to support Russia’s proposals for practical steps to resist protectionism in the field of ecological control and other inconspicuous protectionist measures in international trade,” he believes.
“We expect a positive response from the APEC partners to our ideas of how to encourage investment in high-tech industries, ensure transparency of free trade agreements and the creation under the APEC auspices of mechanisms for settling investment disputes,” Ushakov said.
“As far as the perfection of transport and logistics systems is concerned, the emphasis will be put on creating smart logistics chains with the use of advanced satellite and computerized systems and the on the diversification of routes (including the potential of the Baikal-Amur railway, the Trans-Siberian railway and the Northern Sea Route), Ushakov said.
“In the sphere of food security measures to draw investment and innovation technologies in agriculture are on the top of the agenda. Other high priority issues are ways of enhancing the stability of food markets, expanding access to foods for socially vulnerable groups of the population and fighting illegal fishing and trade in seafood resources,” he said.
“The list of innovation-related issues includes plans for establishing practical cooperation among research centers and educational establishments, as well as APEC businesses,” the Russian presidential aide said. “Russia is for creating a common education space in the Asia-Pacific Region.