US Invites Russia for APEC Summit in San Francisco

(MENAFN) The United States has officially invited Russia to participate in the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, where representatives from twenty other member nations are set to convene for a series of meetings scheduled to commence this weekend. However, it is not anticipated that Russian President Vladimir Putin will personally attend the event.

Details surrounding the week-long gathering were outlined by Matt Murray, the senior American official for APEC, during a press conference held on Monday. Murray emphasized that as the host nation, the United States is eagerly anticipating the arrival of foreign delegations, with the condition that all sanctions are duly observed.

"We've been very consistent and clear that participating in APEC will be in accordance with United States laws and regulations, and we have been working towards appropriate participation of all APEC member economies," Murray stated, addressing journalists.

The matter of sanctions was specifically brought up in relation to two member economies: Hong Kong and Russia. The semi-autonomous Chinese territory announced its decision last Tuesday to send Financial Secretary Paul Chan to the summit, in lieu of Chief Executive John Lee, who is currently subject to United States sanctions.

Lee incurred penalties in 2020, following Beijing's crackdown on mass protests and civil unrest in the city, which the United States characterized as an assault on the democratic aspirations of Hong Kong citizens. At the time, Beijing countered by accusing Washington of inciting the disturbances.

While the possibility of Putin's attendance in San Francisco remains hypothetical, the United States Department of State has all but ruled it out. Spokesman Matthew Miller expressed last month that he would be "highly surprised" if the Russian leader were to choose to participate in person.

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