This meeting has not been held in person since 2018, since in 2019 it was suspended due to protests in Chile and the last two years due to the pandemic
The leaders of the 21 economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forumwhich includes Russia, concluded their summit in Bangkok on Saturday with a joint statement that mention the war in Ukraine and its effects.
The agreed text reflects that “most” members “condemn” Russian “aggression” against Ukraine and stresses that the conflict causes “immense human suffering and exacerbates existing fragilities in the world economy,” while demanding the “unconditional withdrawal” of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory.
The leaders acknowledge that “other points of view” exist and that the forum not the right place to resolve security issuesdespite the fact that these have “consequences on the global economy”, in a document that echoes the language expressed at the G20 leaders’ summit – which took place on the Indonesian island of Bali between Tuesday and Wednesday.
The APEC leaders’ joint statement is similar to the communiqué agreed on Friday between the foreign and trade ministers of the 21 economies, and achieves a late-breaking consensus position that has been elusive throughout Thailand’s tenure of the presidency.
At any of the previous ministerial meetings A joint declaration had been reached for the Russian veto to the references to the war in Ukraine imposed by some of its members, especially the US.
The approved document refers, among other issues, to economic recovery after the covid-19 pandemic and the need to boost trade and investment to regenerate sustainable economic growth and contribute to reducing poverty.
Among the leaders who participated in the meeting are the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, the prime ministers of Japan, Fumio Kishida, and Australia, Anthony Albanese, as well as the Chilean president, Gabriel Boric, among others.
The meeting was also marked by notable absences such as that of the US president, Joe Bidendue to the wedding of a granddaughter on Saturday at the White House, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as his counterparts from Peru, Pedro Castillo, and from Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
The APEC Summit It has not been held in person since 2018since in 2019 it was suspended due to protests in Chile and the last two years due to the pandemic.
Founded in 1989, APEC is made up of Australia, Brunei, Canada, China, Chile, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, South Korea, the United States, and the United States. Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Likewise, it encompasses 2,900 million people -38% of the world population-, a combined GDP of 52 trillion dollars -equivalent to 62% of world GDP- and trade valued at 18 trillion dollars -which represents 70% of world trade.