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Putin and Obama will not meet at APEC summit

President's spokesman: Kremlin is sorry the meeting will not take place
D.Peskov. Photo ITAR-TASS/ Zurab Dzhevakhadze
D.Peskov. Photo ITAR-TASS/ Zurab Dzhevakhadze

MOSCOW, October 4 (Itar-Tass) - The Kremlin is sorry the meeting between Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and the US President Barack Obama will not take place at the APEC summit, press secretary of the Russian leader, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters on Friday.

“We are sorry the meeting will not take place,” he said. “The bilateral relations require a lot a meeting at the top level.”

Peskov noted the large number of issues of bilateral relations regarding international relations, headed by the Syrian crisis.

“We understand the developing situation. We hope that it will be resolved and we await the next chance to hold a bilateral meeting,” Putin’s press secretary said.

Previously Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov said that preparations for Putin and Obama’s meeting, scheduled for October 7 at the APEC summit were underway. However, due to the U.S. Federal Government shutdown and the unresolved stalemate between the White House and Capitol, Obama cancelled his visit to Indonesia.

Vladimir Putin traditionally utilizes major international summits in order to hold bilateral meetings with national leaders, including U.S. president, on the events’ sidelines. Such a meeting at the previous APEC summit in September of 2012 could not take place as Obama was running in the election race.

Putin to inform about G20 results

President Vladimir Putin will inform the APEC leaders about the key results of the G20 summit, which was held in St Petersburg in September, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said.

The APEC summit will take place in Bali on October 5-7.

“The first session will be held on October 7 and devoted to the APEC role in strengthening the regional economic and multifaceted trade system within preparations for the upcoming WTO ministerial conference in December. President Putin will speak at the first session and inform the summiteers about the outcome of the G20 summit,” Ushakov said.

On the same day Putin also give a speech at the APEC Business Summit. The speech will be devoted to new sources of sustainable and long-term economic growth in the Asia-Pacific Region, the presidential aide said.

“This will give a good opportunity to promote Russian approaches towards regional integration processes due to the social and economic development of Siberia and the Far East, and Russia’s participation in the Customs Union and the Eurasian economic space, which is being formed now,” he said.

The summit’s second session of October 8 will focus on mutual relations. “Jointly with the APEC partners Russia seeks to improve the transport, energy and telecommunication infrastructures, harmonies legal bases and make conditions easier for professional and tourist exchanges,” Ushakov said.

Putin is expected to take part in an informal meeting between the APEC leaders and the guests of the forum - representatives of island countries of the Pacific Ocean such as Kiribati, Fiji, the Marshall Islands and the Solomon Islands.

The summiteers will adopt final documents - a declaration and a statement in support of multilateral trade system.

The situation in Syria will be one of the topics of the summit although no new initiatives on the settlement of the conflict are expected. The summiteers “will consider the implementation of the agreements and prospects for the joint work on this issue,” Ushakov said.

The Syrian problem was raised at the latest summits. “In Lough Erne and in St Petersburg the leaders discussed the Syrian dossier,” the presidential aide said.

At the same time, Ushakov said, “The Syrian topic didn’t hamper discussions on the major agenda. I hope that it will be raised during the working dinner and the summit’s plenary sessions will touch on the agenda’s issues.”

In addition, the presidential aide said within the summit Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev will take part in a plenary session with members of the APEC Business Advisory Council. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the APEC leaders will discuss sustainable growth on the fair base. The parties “will discuss measures to intensify multilateral cooperation towards reducing disproportions in the development, living standards and the environmental protection, and ensuring effective management of energy and water resources”, Ushakov said.

“Priorities of Indonesia’s presidency in APEC continue Russia’s chairmanship in 2012. They are aimed at implementing the resolutions of the APEC summit in Vladivostok of September 8-9,” the presidential aide said.

Special attention will be riveted to promoting regional economic integration, reducing non-tariff barriers in trade and carrying out structural reforms, he said.

“Putin’s participation in the APEC summit will give a new impetus to increasing Russia’s role in world and regional affairs and involving our country in integration in the APR for modernization and the innovation development of the Russian economy, primarily of Siberia and the Far East,” Ushakov said.

This will be the 21st APEC summit, which focuses on trade and investment liberalization, the economic development in the Asia Pacific Region, key global and regional issues.

The forum’s participants are Australia, Brunei, Vietnam, Hongkong, Indonesia, Canada, China, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Russia, Singapore, the United States, Thailand, Taiwan, the Philippines, Chile and Japan.