Russia likely to enter APEC with Japanese support: Jiji<\/p>\n
TOKYO (AFP): Russia is expected to join the Asia-Pacific
\nEconomic Cooperation (APEC) forum as early as next year after
\nJapan eased its tough stance to Russian's bid to enter the
\ngrouping, Jiji Press said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Together with Peru and Vietnam, Russia may be chosen as a
\nprimary candidate during the forum's annual meeting in Vancouver
\nin mid-November, the news agency said, quoting government
\nsources.<\/p>\n
The sources said there was no opposition to Russia's bid from
\nany major members, including the United States, South Korea and
\nAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members, they
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Japan had been reluctant to back Moscow's bid for membership,
\nsaying the Russian economy was too premature to join the forum,
\nwhich urges member economies to commit themselves to tear down
\ntrade barriers.<\/p>\n
That stance was reversed, however, when Prime Minister Ryutaro
\nHashimoto promised President Boris Yeltsin he would back Russia's
\nentry during their informal summit on November 2 in the central
\nSiberian city of Krasnoyarsk.<\/p>\n
At the summit, Hashimoto won Yeltsin's pledge to resolve their
\nhalf-century territorial dispute over the Kuril islands and sign
\na peace treaty by 2000.<\/p>\n
Soviet troops occupied four of the Kuril islands off northern
\nJapan in the closing days of World War II. Japan still disputes
\nRussia's sovereignty over the islands and the two countries have
\nyet to sign a formal pact ending the war.<\/p>\n
Senior officials of APEC have said the forum's leaders may
\nseek speedier admission of new members, reconsidering a decision
\ntaken last year welcoming new members to the 18-member grouping
\nonly in 1999.<\/p>\n
At least 11 economies, including Peru, Russia and Vietnam,
\nhave applied to join APEC.<\/p>\n
The forum now comprises Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile,
\nChina, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New
\nZealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, South
\nKorea, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States.<\/p>\n
APEC ministers had proposed at their meeting in Manila last
\nyear that special criteria for membership be drawn up this year
\nand a decision be made at the meeting in Malaysia in 1998 whether
\nto admit the new members.<\/p>\n
This would mean that APEC would only admit new members by
\n1999.<\/p>\n
APEC members in 1993 imposed a three-year moratorium on new
\nmembers to avoid rapid expansion of the loose grouping. APEC
\noperates by consensus, meaning that the approval of each member
\nis needed to reach a decision.<\/p>\n
Proposed criteria for new members include geographical
\nlocation, interest in pursuing market reforms, and commitment to
\nAPEC's goal of liberalizing trade by 2010 for developed members
\nand 2020 for developing members.<\/p>",
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