The APEC summit ended in Sydney

The APEC forum, ending in Sydney, "welcomes the summit in Russia in 2012." This was stated today by Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who announced the final declaration of participants in the 15th summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

“We welcome the US initiative to organize the APEC forum in 2011 in the USA and the Russian initiative to organize a forum, a meeting of leaders in 2012,” he said, summing up the total meeting of the APEC in Australia. “In 2009, the forum meeting will be held in Japan.”

“All this seriously raises the status of the APEC economic forum to a new level,” Howard said.

He also noted the progress achieved on the problem of climate change on Earth. "We signed a declaration on climatic changes", which "is a significant step and an integral part of the current process, within which discussion in Washington will be held, as well as under the auspices of the UN, meetings in Indonesia and Bali will take place."

Speaking about the final document of the Summit, Howard called it "key elements-strengthening economic cooperation and business communications, as well as issues of terrorism, environmental pollution, and energy cooperation," ITAR-TASS reports.

“We also took a number of measures to strengthen the status of the APEC as an international institution,” he emphasized.

In conclusion, Howard thanked all the guests and "residents of Sydney for their patience, since these days unprecedented, unprecedented security measures were taken."