Foreign and trade ministers from the 21-APEC member economies have begun their two-day meeting in Russia’s far eastern city of Vladivostok.

It is part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leader’s week. Russia has proposed the key topics of removing trade barriers, deeper regional integration, and work on transportation infrastructure and food security.

The country’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said ahead of the summit that cooperation with Asian-Pacific countries will be important for the development of Russia’s Siberia and the Far East. The APEC summit is scheduled for September 7th and 8th.