The 2010 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting concluded on June 6 in Sapporo, Japan.
On Sunday in Sapporo, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis participated in meetings with APEC trade ministers to determine how to make APEC more responsive to the needs of businesses and workers, ensuring that APEC helps the United States and other member economies to grow jobs at home, open markets, and promote the needs and interests of small- and medium-sized businesses. At a formal press conference and in a luncheon discussion with business leaders from across the APEC region, Ambassador Marantis complimented Japanese officials on a productive meeting of Ministers Responsible for Trade, and conveyed U.S. eagerness to build on concrete outcomes from this year's APEC gatherings when the United States hosts the trade ministers' meeting in Big Sky, Montana next year.
On the margins of Sunday's official events, U.S. Ambassador to the World Trade Organization Michael Punke held a bilateral meeting with Russian Minister of Economic Development Elvira Nabiullina. Ambassador Punke, who attended the APEC meetings to advance the U.S. goal of an ambitious and balanced agreement in the Doha Round of world trade negotiations, stressed the United States' ongoing bilateral concern over Russia's restrictions on imports of American poultry, and also noted the need for ongoing work by Russia to move forward Russia's effort to accede to membership in the WTO.
As previously announced, Ambassador Marantis served as head of delegation to the APEC trade ministers' meeting on behalf of U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, who remained with his family in Dallas, Texas after sustaining injuries in a car accident this week.
