Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk and members of the Russian delegation arrived in San Francisco, the United States, for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Week 2023 under the theme Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All.     

  The summit’s main events with the participation of the Russian delegation will include two plenary meetings (pillars of engagement). The first session, called the Sustainability pillar, is scheduled for 16 October, and will focus on sustainable and inclusive energy transition, as well as resiliency and climate change.     

The heads of delegations will meet with members of the APEC Business Advisory Council. The Resilient and Inclusive Growth pillar to deepen economies’ ties and improve supply chain resiliency is to take place on 17 October.     

At the beginning of the visit, the Deputy Prime Minister laid flowers at a memorial plaque on the Embarcadero waterfront that commemorates sailors of cruisers from the Russian Imperial Navy’s Pacific Squadron, killed while putting out a fire in San Francisco on 23 October 1863. He also laid flowers at the World War II Memorial in Lincoln Park honouring service personnel killed in action during World War II.     

During his conversation with journalists, Alexei Overchuk noted that the focal points shaping the APEC agenda during the US chairmanship revolved around the establishment of robust economies, inclusivity and addressing climate change. He emphasised that these priorities largely align with the global agenda.     

“In the APEC format the focus has traditionally been on practical aspects, aiming to create favourable conditions for business development and strengthening ties among economic operators in the Asia Pacific region. We hope that the discussions will centre around these issues. Regarding the politicisation of the APEC format, we hope that APEC will retain its status as a purely economic forum,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.