MOSCOW, November 7. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part in the summit of the leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies that will run via a videoconference on November 12, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS on Sunday.

"Yes, it is being planned," Peskov said in response to a question about whether the Russian leader was expected to deliver a speech at the APEC summit on November 12.

As APEC announced on its website, the summit of the association’s leaders will be chaired by Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern. This year, APEC held an extraordinary meeting of its leaders via a videoconference on July 16 to discuss measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic and overcome its consequences.

APEC comprises 19 countries. Among them there are 12 founding states (Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, the US, Thailand, the Philippines, South Korea and Japan), as well as China (joined in 1991), Mexico and Papua New Guinea (1993), Chile (1994), and Russia, Vietnam and Peru (1998). In 1991, two Chinese territories also joined APEC - Xianggang (Hong Kong) and Taiwan.

Considering the specifics of the association that includes both states and territories, the APEC members are traditionally referred to as "economies.".