MOSCOW, April 5 (RIA Novosti) - Russia considers participation in the forum of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in order to counter "new challenges," including international terrorism, the officials from the press service of the Russian government told the journalists, quoting the report made by deputy foreign minister Alexander Alekseyev during a meeting of the governmental committee on economic integration.
During the meeting, the participants also discussed the tasks on intensification of multilateral cooperation in the APEC framework aimed at increasing the level of preparedness for natural and industrial catastrophes.
The APEC forum will be held in South Korean city of Pusan in November 2005. Russian Premier Mikhail Fradkov announced Russia's participation in the forum today.
"This organization deals with issues that are directly related to our Eastern regions, in particular Siberia and the Far East," Fradkov pointed out.
The Premier emphasized that the participation in the forum provides opportunities for the talks on Russia's accession to the WTO.
