Kyodo: Representatives of five countries walk out APEC meeting in protest of Russia

Representatives of Japan, the United States, and three other countries left the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers meeting during a speech by Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov.

Kyodo news agency reported this on Saturday, citing Japanese officials.

The two-day APEC ministerial meeting opened Saturday in Bangkok. Reshetnikov participated via video call.

The decision to leave the meeting, Kyodo notes, was made in protest against Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.

APEC groups 19 countries and two territories. They include 12 founding members: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and the United States. Other members are China (joined in 1991), Mexico and Papua New Guinea (1993), Chile (1994), Russia, Vietnam, and Peru (1998). In 1991, two Chinese territories, Hong Kong and Taiwan joined APEC. Thailand took over the presidency of the organization from New Zealand. The meeting of leaders of the APEC member economies is scheduled for November 18-19 in Bangkok.