Principles of working together are crucial for resolving APEC tasks - Putin

MOSCOW, November 17. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that APEC /Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation / will be able to resolve the tasks it is facing now if all its members keep to the fundamental principles of working together as partners. "The scale and diversity of APEC’s tasks is very impressive. I believe that we will be successful in resolving these tasks if we keep to the fundamental principles of working together as partners and acting in the interests of our peoples and our efforts to create a united Asia-Pacific family," Putin said in his article, which is published by the leading mass media of the APEC countries. The Russian President also stated that APEC countries are showing real interest too in Russia’s proposals to form a common education space in the region. "Today, when the Asia-Pacific region has established itself ever more solidly as part of the world’s leading technology centres, it is more relevant than ever to combine our efforts to create big research platforms and centres. Recognising Russia’s sense of initiative in this area, our partners have entrusted our country, together with Peru, the right to preside over the APEC Education Ministerial Meeting, which will take place in Lima in 2016," Putin said. Speaking about other areas of cooperation the Russian leader said that Russia, for its part, is active in the work of the region’s new financial institutions - the [New Development] Bank BRICS and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. "I am sure that their work will help to develop the region and will also help to make the global financial system stronger and more stable," the President said. Putin added that at the national level Russia continues its efforts to create the most comfortable business climate. "Our efforts have received international appraisal and over the last 4 years, Russia has moved up 69 points in the World Bank’s Doing Business rating, from 120th place to 51st place," Putin said. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit will be held on November 18-19 in the Philippines. The Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the summit, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will represent Russia instead. According to the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the Russian President traditionally pays much attention to APEC summit and its agenda. Peskov noted that the evidence of that is the article written by the President focusing on APEC summit agenda and cooperation in the Asian-Pacific region in general. Read more