Among other initiatives the APEC leaders agreed on the need to crack down on poaching and trafficking in endangered species, to improve the reliability of supply chains that can often be disrupted by disasters and other disruptions, to enhance emergency preparedness and to nurture innovation.
Russia’s hosting of the APEC summit highlights a renewed focus on developing its resource-rich Far East, where it plans to develop modern railroads, seaports and airports to help build a bridge between Asia and Europe.
During the week of APEC-related meetings, Russian companies signed several deals to support development in the region, including a memorandum on a liquefied natural gas plant to increase exports to the Asia-Pacific region and a timber processing plant.
“We are interested to see more foreign investors coming to Russia,” Igor Shuvalov, Russian first deputy prime minister responsible for economic issues, told the Associated Press. “The main task of our forum is to facilitate freer trade. This task is being fulfilled.”
Next year’s APEC summit is due to be held on the Indonesian island of Bali, and the meeting in 2014 in China.
Associated Press writer Lynn Berry contributed to this report.
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