Russia bids to join APEC

Russia bids to join APEC

SEOUL (AFP): South Korea promised yesterday to support Russia's bid to join the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, officials here said.

The promise was made by President Kim Young-Sam when he was asked for support for Russia's bid by visiting Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin, an aide of Kim said.

"It will be beneficial that Russia joins APEC," Kim was quoted as telling Chernomyrdin by Kim's top advisor for security and foreign affairs, Ryu Jong-Ha.

APEC is a loose regional economic consultative body comprising 18 members, including the United States, Japan, Canada, Australia, South Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Chile, Southeast Asian Nations and China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

APEC has decided to delay accepting any new member until the end of 1996 with an agreement that it was time for APEC "not to enlarge but deepen."

The most likely candidate to become the 19th APEC member is Vietnam. In addition, Columbia wants to join, but "the general understanding is that APEC now has too many members," a foreign ministry official told AFP.

"There is a strong doubt in the region whether Russia belongs to the Asia-Pacific region," he said.