APEC Meet Ends Sans Statement As Members Differ On Ukraine Invasion

A meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific region ended Sunday, May 22, 2022, without issuing a joint statement due to differences over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a Japanese minister said, Kyodo News reported.

Photo Insert: In protest against the invasion continuing for almost three months, the top representatives of five economies -- Japan, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States -- walked out when Maksim Reshetnikov, Russia's economic development minister, delivered his remarks during the meeting.

Japan's trade minister Koichi Hagiuda said the outcome of the two-day meeting in Bangkok, which focused on how to promote economic growth in a post-COVID-19 world, should be reflected in a chairman's statement.

"There were big differences when coordinating the wording over Russia among the member economies," Hagiuda said at a press conference.

Ministers of 21 nations making up the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, including the world's three largest economies -- the United States, China, and Japan -- also discussed issues such as food security, high energy prices, and stronger supply chains, according to officials.

In protest against the invasion continuing for almost three months, the top representatives of five economies -- Japan, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States -- walked out when Maksim Reshetnikov, Russia's economic development minister, delivered his remarks during the meeting.

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