Medvedev to attend APEC summit in Honolulu

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will head for Hawaii to attend an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Honolulu on November 12-13. “The participation in the APEC summit has a special significance in light of Russia’s forthcoming chairmanship of this regional association,” presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko said. “Russia will have to pick up the chair’s baton from the United States, … and announce the priorities of APEC activities in 2012,” he said. Russia will chair the organization in 2012. Another presidential aide, Arkady Dvorkovich, said the agenda of Russia’s chairmanship will focus on power industry, transport and food security. Medvedev will meet with his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama on November 12. Prikhodko earlier said Medvedev and Obama will discuss missile defense issues on the sidelines of the APEC summit. On his way to Honolulu, the Russian leader will stop over in the Far Eastern Russian city of Khabarovsk on Friday, where he will hold a meeting of the State Council presidium dedicated to the role of regions in Russia’s economy modernization.