Official website of the President of Russia

News   /

The final declaration adopted by the APEC Leaders' in Sydney welcomes the decision to hold the APEC Leaders' Meeting in the United States in 2011 and in Russia in 2012.

President Vladimir Putin said that Russia would do everything necessary to ensure the highest level of organisation for the Leaders' Meeting and thanked the leaders of the APEC countries for supporting the decision to hold a Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum on Russian soil.

During the Sydney Leaders' Meeting’s closing session, Mr Putin also noted that creating a free trade zone in the Asia-Pacific region is a long-term goal the region’s countries should work towards. After its accession to the World Trade Organisation, Russia would be ready to work in this direction in its new quality as a WTO member, the President said.

At their meeting in Sydney, the APEC leaders adopted a special statement on multilateral trade talks in the WTO, in which they called for a consensus on the Doha round of trade talks and a considerable reduction to state agricultural subsidies.