All news

Lavrov says Russia seeks to cooperate with APEC to enhance regional security

The Russian top diplomat believes the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum should make a serious contribution to eliminating a terrorist threat

MOSCOW, November 16. /TASS/. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum should make a serious contribution to eliminating a terrorist threat and blocking the activity of extremist organizations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov wrote in his article "APEC: Genuine Collectivism and Effective Connectivity."

"It is very important not to dilute efforts in such area as joint fight against international terrorism," Lavrov stressed. "We fully support the provisions of the respective consolidated strategy of APEC."

"We are convinced that by using the economic leverage at its disposal the forum should make a serious contribution to eradicating a terrorist threat, suppressing financing of terrorist groups and blocking the activity of extremist organizations," Lavrov said.

Russia’s top diplomat said Moscow is convinced that there are prospects of cooperation as part of APEC.

"We are firmly committed to fair and mutually beneficial cooperation, we will continue playing an active role in the future, acting as a reliable partner in the interests of advancing region-wide creative process for the benefit of our peoples," he said.

Regional energy security

The top diplomat wrote that Russia seeks to cooperate as part of the APEC forum in increasing energy efficiency and safe nuclear power.

"Certainly, this country will continue playing an important role in strengthening regional energy security," Lavrov said.

Major projects on modernizing the current and new hydrocarbon deposits and developing oil and gas transportation infrastructure in the Far East are being implemented, including with the goal of increasing the energy supplies to the Asia-Pacific Region, the minister wrote.

"Of course, we are interested in cooperation as part of APEC in the search for solutions to such tasks as increasing energy efficiency, diversifying energy balances and developing alternative energy sources, including safe nuclear energy," he stressed.

Lima will host a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum on November 17-23. APEC is an international forum bringing together the world’s 21 leading economies to cooperate in trade and economic development in the region. The forum’s main objective until 2020 is creating a system of free trade and liberal investment regime in the Asia-Pacific region.