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President
Vladimir Putin
Expand
Economic Ties With APEC Members
Russian
President Vladimir Putin said today Russia wants to expand its
economic relationship with Asia Pacific countries, which would
be part of the process in modernizing the economy of his
country.
"We
want to promote our economic policies in the Asia Pacific region
primarily through the APEC forum," Putin said in his
address to the APEC CEO Summit. He said Russia plans to finish
constructing a liquefied natural gas plant in 2007,
which
will become one of the world's largest facilities of its kind.
He said this planned gas plant and its current trans-Siberia
road would provide a new energy source and delivery route for
APEC members. Putin also invited private companies represented
at the meeting to join Russia's efforts in exploring for more
oil and gas in Siberia.
He
said he expects the gross domestic product of his country to
grow at least 6% in 2004 and the GDP to double its current value
in the upcoming decade.
The
Russian president said he is working for sustainable economic
development for his own country and that such a policy is also
vital to economic development of the world as a whole.
He
mentioned drug trafficking, illegal immigration and arms
smuggling as some of the urgent threats to the world's economic
development.
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