PORT MORESBY, November 17. /TASS/. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has met with his Papua New Guinean counterpart Peter O'Neill before the start of the Asia-Pacific Economic Coopration (APEC) summit in Port Moresby on Saturday.

"This is an important event for Papua New Guinea. Thank you for hospitality and great atmosphere. The summit's agenda is very serious but we now have an opportunity to exchange opinions on how to develop ties, contacts between Russia and Papua New Guinea," Medvedev said.

O'Neill in turn thanked the Russian prime minister for attending the summit and assisting in resolving some logistical issues of forum organization. Russia helped deliver airport equipment to Papua New Guinea.

"The agenda is very important," O'Neill said. He reminded that they last met in Hawaii's Honolulu and asked Medvedev how long it took him to fly to Port Moresby.

"Around 17 hours," the Russian prime minister said noting that he flew from the Russian Far Eastern city of Vladivostok.

The 26th summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) starts on Saturday in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea. This country that shares the eponymous island with Indonesia is hosting such a high-level international forum for the fist time.

Leaders of the forum's 21 economies (APEC does not use the term "countries" because it also includes Hong Kong and Taipei) will discuss key issues of developing the Asia Pacific Region: ensuring sustainable growth, expanding trade in the new conditions connected to trade policies of the current US Administration, and protectionist tendencies.