The ministerial meeting of the APEC = Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference held in Thailand has ended, but there are conflicting opinions on how to incorporate the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on the regional economy into the ministerial statement, and coordination continues. It continues.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Hayashi and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Nishimura attended the APEC Ministerial Meeting from Japan, and discussions were held on themes such as sustainable growth in the region.
The conference ended on the night of the 17th, but Japan and the United States should clearly state in their ministerial statement that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has had an impact on the economy, such as soaring energy and food prices. On the other hand, Russia opposed the inclusion of relevant language, and the difference of opinion was not resolved.
For this reason, even after the conclusion of the Ministerial Conference, coordination continues at the working level toward the adoption of the statement.
On the other hand, Thailand, the chair of the meeting, called for the creation of new goals within the region to achieve both economic growth and climate change countermeasures in an attempt to find common ground, and all countries, including Russia, expressed their welcome.
The new goals will encourage countries to support efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and transition to clean and low-carbon energy, and are expected to be discussed at the summit meeting to be held from the 18th.
After the conference, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Nishimura said, ``The adoption of the statement is unpredictable, but it is not possible for one country to respond to the corona, energy crisis, and decarbonization alone, and the importance of international conferences is increasing. I think,' he said.