US APEC Ambassador: “It is a difficult issue to deal with, but we will make efforts”
Russian Deputy Prime Minister attends in place of Putin, who does not attend due to US sanctions
It is expected that a joint declaration on the war in the Middle East and Ukraine will be reached at the 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit held in San Francisco, California, USA.
At a press conference on the 13th (local time), U.S. State Department Ambassador to APEC Matt Murray said, “The leaders are definitely working to issue a strong joint statement” on whether a joint statement on issues such as the Middle East and Ukraine will be issued.
Ambassador Murray said, “There has been a lot of conflict over the past few years due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Russia is a member of APEC, and many other members are feeling the economic impact of the war.”
“This was certainly a difficult issue to address, but we were able to issue a summit declaration last year and we will try to do the same this year,” he explained.
At the APEC summit held in Thailand last November, a joint statement included the following: “We strongly condemn the war taking place in Ukraine.” However, out of consideration for Russia, it was stated that “there were different opinions and evaluations.”
When asked whether a high-ranking official would attend APEC instead of Russian President Vladimir Putin, he explained that the Deputy Prime Minister would attend as a representative.
Ambassador Murray added, “The United States has consistently said that it will host APEC within sanctions-related laws and regulations,” adding, “The officials to be dispatched this time are not subject to sanctions.”
President Putin will not attend this meeting due to U.S. administration sanctions related to the war in Ukraine.
Regarding reports that U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping may reach an agreement not to use artificial intelligence (AI) to manage nuclear weapons at their summit on the 15th, “There is no information yet regarding the AI agreement between the U.S. and China.” “He said without saying anything.
However, he replaced it with the answer, saying, “AI has been discussed in various ways throughout APEC meetings throughout the year,” and “interest in how member countries can cooperate in this field is definitely increasing in the region.”
At APEC, which opened on the 11th and runs until the 17th, major issues such as supply chain resilience, digital trade, climate change and environmental sustainability, and inclusiveness are scheduled to be discussed under the agenda of ‘Creating a resilient and sustainable future for all’.
The summit will be held from the 15th to the 17th, and President Yoon Seok-yeol is also scheduled to attend.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.