BANGKOK, May 22 /TASS/. Economy ministers at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation failed to adopt a joint statement following a meeting in Bangkok, a Russian delegation member told reporters on Sunday.
Still, the meeting was successful, he said.
"The Russian delegation confirmed that the concluding joint statement by the APEC economy ministers wasn’t adopted, but noted that the forum was successful because Thailand was able to ensure a quality agenda and discussion at the APEC meeting," the delegation member said.
Another participant of the APEC conference told reporters that Thailand, Russia and most delegations of APEC countries worked on the statement to the last moment. Twenty-three of the 24 paragraphs were agreed upon, "but the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand didn’t support a call by Russia and China to continue cooperation on APEC agenda," the participant said.
He said the ministerial statement failed to be agreed on "amid a destructive decision by some Western economies to politicize APEC."
About APEC
APEC brings together 21 participants, including 12 founding states (Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, the US, Thailand, 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, Hong Kong and Taiwan, also joined APEC. Thailand took over chairmanship of the organization from New Zealand. A meeting of APEC country leaders is scheduled for November 18-19 in Bangkok.