MOSCOW, July 21. /TASS/. President Vladimir Putin will lead the Russian delegation at the APEC summit in China’s Shenzhen on November 18 and 19, Russian Foreign Ministry’s Ambassador at Large Marat Berdyev told TASS.

"This will be extremely eventful and productive for APEC. The Chinese have put forward a timely slogan calling for the creation of a prosperous community in the Asia Pacific region. They have outlined three key pillars: openness, innovation, and cooperation. The summit is scheduled for November 18 and 19 in Shenzhen. President Vladimir Putin will lead the Russian delegation. This demonstrates the importance we attach to economic relations with our partners in the Asia Pacific region, particularly with China, as well as our high regard for China’s approaches to strengthening APEC’s capacity to promote progress and prosperity," he said.

According to the Russian diplomat, eleven ministerial conferences will be held under China’s presidency. "One of APEC’s primary roles is to serve as a ‘think tank’ and put forward practical ideas. Today, more than ever, these ideas are needed to reverse the tide of protectionism and sanctions and set the regional economy on a path toward integration. China has already proposed powerful initiatives designed to boost interconnectedness, technological modernization, and the establishment of a free trade zone in the Asia Pacific region. This is in line with Russia’s policy, which President Putin outlined back in 2015 with an emphasis on ‘integration of integrations’ based on the Greater Eurasian Partnership (GEP) initiative," Berdyev stressed.

"The GEP was designed as the framework for a common economic space without barriers and division lines, as the tangible foundation for shared and indivisible security on the continent. So, there are many points of contact between Russia and APEC. We will connect them into a single dotted line," he added.