Russia's First Deputy PM 'Cautiously Optimistic' About US Position as 2023 APEC Chair

11:10 GMT, 19 November 2022

The 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit is drawing to a close in Bangkok, Thailand. The participating countries discussed cooperation to revitalize the region's economy, which has been affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical instability.

Sputnik

The summit is taking place against the background of economic tensions caused, among other things, by western sanctions against Russia over its special military operation in Ukraine.

On Friday, Russia's Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Vladimir Ilyichev, said that the APEC Ministerial Declaration was adopted in compromise form, taking Russia's position into account.

"We should not forget that APEC is an economic structure that does not deal with the political agenda," Ilyichev said.

Sputnik's correspondent asked Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, the head of the Russian delegation at the APEC Summit in Thailand, about possible anti-Russian rhetoric during Washington's APEC chairmanship.

Belousov expressed cautious optimism about the US position as 2023 APEC chair.

"You know, I drew attention to the fact that during today's speech by the Vice-President of the US dedicated to this transition, no attacks against Russia were made. The US agenda was announced: the main priorities, they are more or less clear. These are inclusive growth, decarbonization, the fight against the manifestations of the climate crisis, issues of gender equality, support for small businesses. In fact, this is the development of the priorities that were laid down at the present summit. But I think that this agenda will be adjusted by the development of the crisis phenomena that I have mentioned. And the fact that the Americans did not say anything in their opening remarks today about the issues that they have recently been building so persistently in connection with Ukraine, I think this is a good sign," Belousov said.