Trade Group To Expand Membership -- Apec Is Expected To Invite Mexico, Papua New Guinea, But Not Russia

The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation organization likely will grow by two new members when Mexico and Papua New Guinea are invited to join the group at a meeting here in November.

Sandra Kristoff, director of Asian Affairs at the National Security Council, said there was support for the countries to join APEC, which now totals 15 members around the Pacific Rim.

Kristoff was in Seattle today to brief local organizations on the coming meeting. Foreign ministers of the 15 countries will meet here Nov. 15-19. At the same time, President Clinton has invited the leaders of the members to a one-day summit meeting.

However, it is unlikely that Russia, another country with a strong presence on the Pacific Rim, will be invited to join the organization. Kristoff said APEC should consolidate and deepen its organization with the present membership, rather than invite Russia to join.

"At some point the interests of Russia and the interests of APEC will converge," Kristoff said. With both economic and political concerns, she said joining APEC is not among the top five issues on the Russian agenda.

Because of the growing presence of the Russian Far East in the economics of the Pacific Rim, there is strong business support for an increased role for Russia.

Kristoff said the U.S. expects all 15 members of APEC to be present at the Clinton summit meeting as well as the ministerial meeting earlier in the week. She noted that this would be the first time the leaders of the 15 members all met in the same place.

Kristoff said members of APEC are working on a declaration of a trade framework and investment principles that likely will be adopted at the Seattle meeting.

She said the meeting may be historic, marking the beginning of a vision for the Pacific region that raises it to a new level. "This is a region whose time has come," Kristoff said.

APEC comprises Australia, Brunei, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, , Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States.